The biggest challenge mankind is facing nowadays is the environmental crisis. Developing a more environmental conscious way of life is one of the most important tools of coping with this crisis. Eco schools contribute to this aim with keeping in view the ideal of the environmental conscious citizen, while educating next generations.
What makes a school an eco-school?
The biggest challenge mankind is facing nowadays is the environmental crisis. Developing a more environmental conscious way of life is one of the most important tools of coping with this crisis. Eco schools contribute to this aim with keeping in view the ideal of the environmental conscious citizen, while educating next generations.
An eco school differs from the average school in the fact that the principles of sustainability are not only present in education but in all fields of school life from the operation of the school to the catering of the children or to organising camps.
The local community connects to eco-school work in many ways. Local environmental values and problems form part of the schoool’s pedagogical work embedded in the local pedagogical program.
The working of the Hungarian Ecoschool Network
The Hungarian Ecoschool Network co-ordinates, informs, organises in-service teacher trainings and programs for those schools that put the principles of sustainability in the centre of their operation. The Network is open to every Hungarian institution for public education. Our main activities: Schools could join the Network every in school year via a tender for Ecoschool title, and they should renew their title in every three years by reporting their developments and update their plans. .
National meetings
At our meetings we present the most important national and international events, innovations and provide an opportunity for our members to introduce themselves, exchange technical experience, form relationships.
Website
Our website is continuously updated, (www.okoiskola.hu), and is available with up to date news competitions, foreign outlook and data bases to everyone interested.
In-service teacher trainings
The network continuously help our members to participate in national and international in-service teacher trainings and runs its own training for Ecoschool head teachers..
Research
We support the work of our members with action research helping practical pedagogical work and with pedagogical-psychological research providing the theoretical basis of the pedagogy of sustainability.
Foreign relationships
The members of the eco school network has shown the results of the Hungarian environmental education with great success at several international events and take part in many international programs with the backing of the Network.
Pedagogical supplementary materials
The Network helps the creation of pedagogical supplementary materials, books and educational packages, which are important for eco schools and continuously informs its members about up to date handbooks.
The background of the Hungarian Ecoschool Network
The Network is running since March 2000 as the Hungarian part of the ecoschool program of the
ENSI
Environmental and School Initiatives)project, which is project of the
The Network is co-ordinated by the:
Hungarian Institute for Educational Research and Development
Centre for Development and Innovation
with the professional and financial support of the
Ministry of Education and Culture
and the
Ministry for Environment and Water
Address: 1051 Budapest 8. Dorottya Street
Phone: (36) 1 235-72-49
E-mail:varga.attila@ofi.hu
