Greening the curriculum

Abstract

The razzmatazz of Rio is over and the United Nation 's Conference on Environment and Development Agenda 21 the 800-page environmental action programme for sustainable development for the next century has, by consensus, been adopted. High in the programme's list of priorities, governments are called upon to strive to update or prepare strategies aimed at integrating environment and development into education at all levels. A thorough review of curricula is demanded. It is suggested that this should be undertaken to ensure a multidisciplinary approach, with environment and development issues fully relating to sociocultural and demographic aspects and linkages. Here, in the UK, the government indicated the level of its environmental commitment in This Common Inheritance (DOE, 1990). Amongst the White Paper ' s many proposals was one to establish a new expert committee to make recommendations on the future of environmental education and training in the post-school sector. That commiuee reports this Autumn and is very likely to advocate extensive curriculum changes. In a move to promote an over-riding and comprehensive awareness of the environment, to ensure that all citizens play their part in sustainability, environmental dimensions must become an essential element of all curricula at the post-school level. The White Paper emphatically states: "It is... important that environmental concerns are reflected in science, engineering and other courses in further and higher education" (DOE, 1990, p.226). Following closely upon the government's lead, many higher education establishments in the country in particular, have taken initiatives to 'green their curricula'. In 1990, most polytechnic John F. Po~er