Environmental Education – Education for Sustainability (EfS)

Welcome to Environmental Education – Education for Sustainability (EfS). On these pages, teachers, advisers, and other educators will find curriculum-based learning materials and links to other resources intended to encourage understandings of the environment and the importance of effective environmental decision-making around sustainability issues.

The teaching and learning materials included here support the aims of environmental education that are developed in Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools (1999), published for the Ministry of Education by Learning Media.

The signpost navigation will guide you to support material across all curriculum areas, and links to websites and organisations.

Eco News
Explore this interactive website for teenagers that collects environmental news, information on conservation, sustainability, eco careers, and biodiversity. The site also links to many online resources and to material held in the Wellington City Libraries.
http://www.wcl.govt.nz/teens/eco_news.html

Education for Sustainability
This education for sustainability website is designed as a platform by which examples of sustainability education practice in schools and current research can be posted, shared and commented upon by teachers, researchers and sustainability education practitioners.
http://www.e4s.org.nz/efs/

Revision of the Environmental Education Guidelines
Submissions are now open for comment on the proposed revision of the Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools. A Position paper has been drafted to prompt thinking about the revision and this is available in full or summary form, with a comment submission form at http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/consultation/. There are scheduled discussion meetings in Auckland (Nov 7), Hamilton (Nov 15), Wellington (Nov 15), Christchurch (Nov 21) and Dunedin (Dec 5). Whether or not you can attend one of these meetings, we would strongly encourage you to have your say using the online submission form. We realise this is a difficult time of year to ask for your input, but we very much welcome your involvement in this process and look forward to your contribution. Your feedback will be used to inform a brief that will guide the development of new Guidelines. Enquiries to Chris Eames (c.eames@waikato.ac.nz).

Interactive
The Pests and Predators Interactive shows the devastation an introduced animal can cause to New Zealand's indigenous environment and wildlife.

Primary Units
These resources have been produced by the Ministry of Education to guide and support school managers and teachers in providing effective environmental education programmes for students.

Secondary Units
These resources have been produced by the Ministry of Education to guide and support school managers and teachers in providing effective environmental education programmes for students.

Education for Sustainability
Explore the issues facing the future direction of environmental education, including the need to give students the opportunity to be informed and active participants in moving society towards ecological, social, and economic sustainability.

Links
These links include websites and resources on Te Kete Ipurangi to support school managers and teachers in providing effective Environmental Education programmes for students. Links are also included to other websites that can assist teachers and students in environmental education, including the Environmental Education Directory of New Zealand (www.eednz.org.nz).

TravelWise - Thinking Transport
TravelWise is a programme run by the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) in partnership with Auckland Regional Council, Land Transport New Zealand, Ministry of Health, Roadsafe Auckland, and other Auckland city councils. TravelWise works with schools and communities to improve travel choices and make it safer and easier to consider travel options. Includes information on road safety, walking school buses, walking and cycling, and guidelines for schools and work places to implement safety programmes.
http://www.travelwise.org.nz/home.cfm

Contacts
Contact the environmental education coordinator in your region for advice and support. They can offer suggestions on how to incorporate environmental education into the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools, and information about existing environmental programmes.