Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore the perspectives of teacher educators and policy experts on ‘Green School Guidelines’ and ‘One Garden One School’ educational policies in Nepal. This paper also examines how these educational policies help to attain sustainable development goals through education for sustainable development. It aims to explore ways for effective implementation of these policies for activity-based science learning in the school garden. The qualitative method was used to explore the perspectives of science and environment teacher educators and central level policy experts. The data were collected from semi-structured in-depth interviews and informal conversations. The data from both these sources were analyzed thematically around the concepts of education for sustainable development, its implementation strategies and challenges, and life skills development among students through school gardening activities. The study found that teacher educators and policy experts positively view the Green School Guidelines and One Garden One School implementation strategies. Nevertheless, to achieve policy aims, local organization needs to play a major role in the effective implementation of green school guidelines. The findings from this study are expected to encourage the Nepal government, local governments, and community schools to bring central level policies into local practices.
Highlights
The Ministry of Education (MoE), and the Government of Nepal (GoN) launched the country’s first Green School Guideline in 2017, which aims to promote environment conservation education in public schools
The policy expert and teacher educators’ perspectives on the policy documents Green School Guidelines and One Garden One School are presented around four main themes
All interviewees perceived the possibility for effective implementation of the policy guidelines to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but the interviewees were critical regarding the possibility of effectively implementing green school policy in all the community schools
Summary
The Ministry of Education (MoE), and the Government of Nepal (GoN) launched the country’s first Green School Guideline in 2017, which aims to promote environment conservation education in public schools. The purpose is to engage students in the school garden as a part of pedagogy aiming to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This guideline promotes the concept of One Garden, One School in the schools as a living laboratory. Garden-based pedagogy creates possibilities to support teaching and learning of science in schools. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) triggered innovations in teaching and learning worldwide in the form of alternative methodologies (e.g. garden-based pedagogy, eco-pedagogy) that can strengthen people’s sustainable development-related capacities (Aftandilian, & Dart, 2013; Moffatt, 2015; Wals, & Kieft, 2010). Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) triggered innovations in teaching and learning worldwide in the form of alternative methodologies (e.g. garden-based pedagogy, eco-pedagogy) that can strengthen people’s sustainable development-related capacities (Aftandilian, & Dart, 2013; Moffatt, 2015; Wals, & Kieft, 2010). Wals and Kieft, (2010) argue that ESD in formal education is necessary for providing students opportunities to participate in addressing challenges in society
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