Environmental Education in France: Assessment and Outlook

Abstract

The problems of the environment in France are those of all modern industrialised countries. The way these problems are perceived varies considerably between sections of the population and individuals. The chronic dangers to the environment are often too inconspicuous for their importance to be directly apparent, and the requirements of progress, development and growth outweigh appreciation of the need for preventive action, even though the irreparable damage of which some experts give advance warning ought to act as a convincing threat. Yet only major catastrophes and general warnings about such things as the greenhouse effect or the risks of running out of energy cause brief bursts of interest, quickly overtaken by a preference for the comforts of modern living, whose benefits discourage any thorough examination of the risks attached. Moreover, the short-term political view, which tends to be opportunist for all kinds of reasons, and the way the subject is treated by the media, talking down to the general public, do not at all encourage a real awareness of environmental problems and the need for a rational use of resources. Nevertheless, 'Green' political parties are growing in strength in France (recent polls give them 13-14% of voting intentions) and the traditional political parties are trying to include environmental issues in their platforms. Where does environmental education (EE) fit into this picture? To answer this question means looking at what is happening in schools, even though there are clearly other ways of making consumers environmentally aware, especially in the context of leisure and tourism, or through the voluntary sector. The highly centralised nature of the French education system might appear to be a major obstacle, encouraging conservatism and strengthening the position of the various existing subject areas, but in fact it can also mean that new ideas are absorbed into the system quickly and effectively if the political will is clear. This article will concentrate on primary and secondary teaching, because the situation in higher education (universities, Grandes Ecoles, engineering schools) is very varied and deserves a special study of its own. The appraisal of the current situation in France could be called 'Twenty Years On' since it is generally agreed that EE properly speaking began in the early 1970s, although many initiatives by small groups and individuals started even earlier. It remains to be seen whether these two decades have really made EE an integral and lasting part of the French education system.