Status, Issues and Recommendations on Environmental Education : Perspectives from Higher Education

1. Status, Issues and Recommendations on Environmental Education : Perspectives from Higher Education Ruth S. Guzman, Ph.D. Chairperson, Phil. Assoc. of Tertiary Level Education Institutions in Environmental Protection and Management (PATLEPAM)

2. National Environmental Action Plan (1992-2002) The main thrusts of the Plan was on Curriculum and Materials Development Program; Research and Development Program; Training Program, IEC and Social Advocacy Program and Upgrading of Facilities and Equipment.

3. Salient Features of NEEAP (1992-2002) • Integration of Environmental Education in the Curriculum Framework for the Formal (Basic and Tertiary) and Non-Formal Education • Networking and collaboration through the institutionalization of the environmental education networks • Seminar-workshops and Teachers’ Trainings on Environmental Education

4. Salient Features of NEEAP (1992-2002) • Annual conferences with themes on environmental issues of current interest and tertiary level teachers as main audience • Teachers’ Trainings for faculty and staff of Technology Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) • Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Programs • Publication of locally-authored books on environmental education and sustainable development

5. ASEAN Environmental Education Action Plan (2000-2005) As one target area under the AEEAP, the goal of formal education is the incorporation of environmental education at all levels of formal education.

6. Objectives under the ASEAN Plan (2000-2005) • To gather baseline information regarding the status of environmental education in formal education in ASEAN • To institutionalize environmental education at all levels of formal education • To develop an environmental education curriculum framework for all levels of formal education in ASEAN member-countries • To develop and produce support materials for environmental education

7. Philippine commitments under the AEEAP target areas… • Teacher training on the use of the environmental education curriculum framework • Materials production on environmental education for use in the formal and non-formal schools • Promote the subject “Environment and Sustainable Development” for consideration in the General Education curriculum of higher education

8. Philippine commitments under the AEEAP target areas… • Assessment of the implementation of Environmental Education in basic education for selected schools nationwide. • Development of compendium of environmentally-oriented lessons for higher education • Preparation of Philippine inputs to the ASEAN Environmental Education Inventory Database

9. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (2005-2014) The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation has proclaimed the ten year period for 2005-2014 as the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD)

10. Domains of DESD • Basic education • reorienting existing education programs • developing public awareness and understanding of sustainability • vocational and professional training especially for business and industry

11. overcoming poverty gender equality health promotion environmental conservation and protection rural transformation human rights cultural diversity intercultural understanding and peace sustainable production and consumption information and communication technologies Key Themes for the DESD

12. The Philippine Agenda 21 The enhanced Philippine Agenda 21 also emphasizes the integration of sustainable development education into the formal curriculum under its five-fold aims of: • poverty reduction • social equity • good governance and empowerment • peace and solidarity • ecological integrity

13. Issues and Perspectives from the Formal Sector • Catalytic role of networking and collaboration among tertiary educational institution for environmental protection and management (i.e., PATLEPAM, EENP) • capability building of member schools for environmental education and sustainable development • connecting academe to business and industry

14. Issues and Perspectives from the Formal Sector • Catalytic role (con’t…) • promotion of community participation and public awareness with respective clients of member-schools • contribution to policy formulation • production and distribution of relevant and appropriate EE materials • Sustainability of the networks and funding

15. Gaps in the NEEAP for the Formal Sector • Reprinting of foreign textbooks on EE • Value formation study for EE • Scholarship program and establishment of scholarship fund • Upgrading of EE facilities and equipment • Philippine Environmental Education Database

16. Recommendations • Institutionalization of the integration of environmental education in CHED and Department of Education • Stronger networking, collaboration and partnerships • Review of existing curriculum and infusion of EE courses/modules

17. Recommendations • Innovative programs such as Eco-Corps (Environmental Conservation through Citizens’ Organized Participation and Support) • Review of teaching methodologies and approaches to EE • Inter-phasing the formal curricular programs in the context of the DESD

18. Thank You!!!