SADC
Regional Environmental Education Programme

Botswana 31 July - 11 August

The development of the a teachers guide to support primary school teachers in implementing environmental education processes in Botswana was a resounding success for collaborative resource materials development by stakeholders in the education sector and other interested partners. The special attachment programme was able to pool together professionals from curriculum development and evaluation, department of teacher education and development, primary and secondary school teachers, education inspectorate, conservationists and non governmental organisations. Participants were able to work collectively in coming up with a teachers guide which will help teachers work with the school environmental education policy pack for Botswana and contribute towards recommendation number 44 of the Revised Policy on Education in Botswana.

Zambia

The SADC REES Course Developers' Network supported environmental education course initiatives in Mauritius, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zambia between 2002 and 2005. Mufulira College of Education in Zambia was part of the Network and they developed an environmental education course for pre and post service teachers.

The Zambian case worked on tutor and learner support as one of the dimensions of course and curriculum development processes in environmental education. The college was addressing the concern that institutions of teacher education need to reorient pre-service teacher education to address ESD, reorienting of teacher education institutions as a key element in the work programme on ESD and the development of new professionals with ESD expertise which will profoundly shorten the response time for achieving sustainability.

Two models of human resource development currently exist and these are:-

1. In service training: in which experienced professionals are provided with additional training. In return they reshape the existing programmers by drawing on their new knowledge, previous expertise and understanding of national and local systems
2. Pre-service training: in which concepts, principles and methodologies are provided during initial training. The new professionals step into their jobs with ESD as part of their training.

For more information on current environmental education policy initiatives and on the outcomes of the above projects contact us