Proposal to CEDP System Leadership Team
PREAMBLE
The 2014 implementation of the national
curriculum through the NSW Board of Studies syllabi (English, History,
Mathematics and Science - Yrs 7 and 9;
English K- 6) sees three cross curriculum priorities providing the potential
for enhancing the breadth and depth of students’ learning in ways that have not
systematically occurred in recent times. One of these priorities, Sustainability,
offers teachers and students exciting opportunities to
“…develop
the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for them to act in ways
that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living...The Sustainability
priority is futures-oriented, focusing on protecting environments and creating
a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action.”1
A
real strength of the national curriculum naming this priority is that teachers
and students can engage in learning about sustainability formally through the
curriculum in all KLA areas instead of it being left to chance in one or two
KLAs or through extra curricular activities.
Authentically
responding to this priority also provides teachers and students with
opportunities to discuss, reflect and act on the messages Pope Francis has
conveyed to us about our stewardship of environmental and human ecology. In a
speech broadcast earlier this year Pope Francis reminded us
“…When we talk about the
environment, about creation, my thoughts turn to … the Book of Genesis, which states that God
placed man and woman on earth to cultivate and care for it (cf. 2:15). And the question comes to my mind: What does
cultivating and caring for the earth mean? Are we truly cultivating and caring for
creation? Or are we exploiting &
neglecting it? And he concluded the broadcast with, “So I would like us all to make a serious
commitment to respect and protect creation, to be attentive to every person, to
counter the culture of waste and disposable, to promote a culture of solidarity
and of encounter.”2
PROPOSAL
We request the diocesan System Leadership Team endorses
an annual initiative whereby schools are encouraged and supported to respond to
a sustainability issue. It would be an issue experienced by the school or the
local community, by participation in the following project:
How can our school or
local community demonstrate greater stewardship of
………………………? (name the
resource*)
*Resources – Water, Energy,
Food, Recyclable Rubbish, Natural Environment, Transport etc.)
If approved the Executive Director would issue an
invitation to our diocesan Early Learning Centres, Primary and Secondary
schools to develop a project that responds to a sustainability issue is of
concern to their school or local community.
The project would include:
· Compiling a situational analysis and
developing and implementing some
solutions or series of actions that demonstrate greater stewardship of their
nominated sustainability issue.
Schools would be encouraged to use the PBL or CBL
project processes and submit a project report documenting what they have done, the
results of implementing one or several of their solutions and how the actions
are sustainable as well as showing its links to one or more KLA curriculum areas.
Each
year, at a pre-determined date, a panel of teachers and system personnel
together with a few community members would evaluate the submitted project
reports and make recommendations to the Executive Director and Head of System
Learning about which schools should be acknowledged with the
·
3 x Executive Director Sustainability
and Stewardship Awards for Early Learning Centres, Primary schools and
Secondary schools. ($1000 each and other schools in each category receiving
Highly Commended Awards.
Each
school that has submitted a report would have it published on a site within
OSCAR (or another suitable forum) with the winning schools report published in
UPDATE. The Sustainability PLC would
make recommendations about which projects could be submitted to the national
/international community forums that showcase school /community sustainability
initiatives.
Members
of the diocesan Sustainability PLC would use their meetings to identify and provide
resource lists and advice where possible to teachers and students willing to be
involved.
The 16th gathering of the Parramatta Learning Community for Sustainability saw the above proposal launched and the race is now on for educators to prepare a sustainable project, suited to their school's environment in an attempt to win an award of $1000 or a High Recommendation ...
'From Little Things Big Things Grow'
