Sustainable Development Education Panel
Sustainable Development Education Surveys
1. Awareness and Ethos
1.1 Awareness of the term 'Sustainable Development'
The interview with staff responsible for issues relating to sustainable development began by testing awareness of the term sustainable development. They were provided with a definition of the term. The definition was as follows,"sustainable development requires a balance between economic prosperity, social equity and the environment to ensure quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future." Respondents were then asked whether they had heard of the term before, therefore testing awareness but not understanding of sustainable development.
| Figure 1.1 Aware of the term 'Sustainable Development' |
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Only just over half (56%) of schools showed any awareness of the term "sustainable development". Note, however, that those responding were those most responsible for such issues in their school. Therefore, they are more likely to be interested in the issues and to be following curriculum developments.
Awareness was at its highest in secondary schools, especially in the state sector where three quarters were aware. Of the four school types, awareness was lowest in state primary schools with just over half of schools responding positively. Those schools with a link with the local authority concerning these issues (including the LA21 Officers) are also slightly more likely to be aware, though this link may not be causal.
1.2 School Policies Relating to Sustainable Development
| Figure 1.2 Have a set of policies which includes aim and ethos |
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Almost all schools have written policies which include their aims and ethos. State schools (both primary and secondary) are slightly more likely to have a policy, as are those which have a sustainable development related link with the local authority such as through an LA21 Officer.
Aspects of sustainable development appear prominently in school's policies. Social equity in particular is included in most policies, notably in secondary schools where over eight in ten schools include this issue. Social equity includes such issues as racial inequality and tackling discrimination, subjects which may be tackled in greater depth as children get older. Environmental issues also feature in the great majority of policies (76%), and especially so in state schools. Only 59% of independent schools cover this issue in their written policies.
| Figure 1.3 Aspects of policies relating to sustainable development (school type) |
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Global development, defined in the research as 'making the connection between local and worldwide development issues such as the divisions between rich and poor', is featured in the fewest policies. Many more primary schools (52%) than secondary schools (39%) refer to this topic in their policies. Economic prosperity through the wise use of resources is included in about half of policies. There is little difference between school types.
| Figure 1.4 Aspects of policies relating to sustainable development (Link with LA) |
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Those which maintain a link to local authority on sustainable development issues, for example through Local Agenda 21 officers, were more likely to feature more of the four aspects in their policies. 15% more schools with a link mentioned environmental issues and a further 14% mentioned global development.
Respondents were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with the statementincluding 'Our school policies should be related to the principles of sustainable development'.
| Figure 1.5 Our Policies should be related to sustainable development |
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A little over three out of four schools did agree with this statement, with just under half of these strongly agreeing. State schools were slightly more positive but the agreement seems to span all levels and sectors. 85% of those which have a sustainable development related link with the local authority agreed with this concept, 7% more than the average of all schools.
1.3 Links with the local authority
The Local Agenda 21 initiative, which emerged from the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, aimed to make significant changes in environmental behaviour by the year 2000. All local authorities signed up to the deal, and through the use of LA21 Officers aimed to make an impact on their local community's attitudes to recycling and many other actions related to the environment.
All schools should have a link available to the local authority concerning environmental issues, specifically through an LA21 Officer. However, this link may or may not have been established, either by the school itself or the local authority.
| Figure 1.6 Have links with the local authority concerning sustainable development issues (including LA21 Officers) |
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The proportion of schools which maintain a link with the local authority concerning sustainable development issues varies greatly across sectors and levels. Almost half of state secondaries have and are aware of the connection, in contrast to just 17% of independent secondary schools. State primaries are slightly less likely than their secondary counterparts to have a link, but still almost four in ten schools do (in comparison to just one in five independent primary schools). State schools would tend to create closer links to the local education authority than their independent counterparts, and these schools may, in turn, create a closer link to their local authority.
Larger schools are also more likely than average to maintain a relationship with their local authority concerning sustainable development issues. Over half of large secondary schools have this link. Larger schools could be more of a target for environmental schemes and other activities linked with the Local Agenda 21 initiative.
1.4 Links between school policies and teaching
As was shown in section 1.2, the majority of schools have developed a policy which contains the aim and ethos of the institution. Within these, the great majority feature one or more aspects of sustainable development. However, for these to impact to any great extent on the pupils, schools must extend this ethos to their teaching.
| Figure 1.7 Extent to which sustainable development aspects of policies affects what is taught |
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Two thirds of schools say that these aspects of their policies do affect what is taught. State secondary schools are slightly less likely to say that it affects what is taught very much, but there is very little difference between different sectors and age group being taught. Size of school (state schools only) does not appear to have any impact on this measure, with around six in ten of large and small schools stating that the contents of their policy does affect what's being taught.
However, those with a link to the local authority concerning these issues are more likely than average to say that the issues featured do affect what they teach. Three quarters of schools with a link to the LA believe the issues affect what is taught compared to two-thirds of those without a link. A quarter of these schools with a link say it affects their teaching 'very much' with a further half saying 'quite a lot'.
1.5 Member(s) of staff responsible for Sustainable Development issues
| Figure 1.8 Member of staff with overall responsibility (Level) |
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Of all primary schools, nearly eight in ten of those responsible for sustainable development issues are headteachers. This is in comparison to just a third of secondary schools. Primary schools tend to have a smaller teaching staff with the headteachers being responsible for more teaching issues than in secondary schools. In some instances responsibility may rest with the Head teacher merely because it has not been allocated to any individual at all within the school. In secondary schools, those responsible were more likely to be Deputy Heads or Heads of Department.
| Figure 1.9 Member of staff with overall responsibility (Sector) |
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Headteachers are also more likely to be responsible for sustainable development in state schools. Independent schools were more likely to give responsibility for sustainable development issues to less senior staff such as Heads of Department. Independent schools also have a higher number of specialised administrators who are responsible for this type of issue.
58% of all schools had someone other than the main contact responsible for sustainable development issues. This person tended to be less senior staff such as a Head of Department or Class Teacher.
| Figure 1.10 Members of staff with any responsibility for sustainable development Issues |
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The above chart (Figure 1.8) shows the combined results of both the first person and second person responsible (if applicable) for sustainable development in schools. In secondary schools, fewer headteachers have any responsibility for the issues, the duty tends to lie with Deputy Heads, Subject Heads or subject teachers. As discussed earlier, in school with smaller teaching staff, senior teachers taken on responsibility for the issues, 50% of all those with any responsibility for the teaching of sustainable development were headteachers.
Page published 12 May
2000;
Page last modified
20 August, 2002