EDTM 321

The history of
Environmental
Education
At the end of this lesson you
should…
• Describe and analyse the concept and the history
of Environmental Education internationally;

• Explain the inclusion of Environmental Education in

formal education in South Africa;

• Explain, in a practical way, the meaning of the

principles of the Tbilisi Conference and their
implications internationally and nationally; and

• Analyse and evaluate the UN Decade of Education

for Sustainable Development and the Global Action
Programme
 “We are the Earth, through the plants and
animals that nourish us. We are the rains and
the oceans that flow through our veins. We are
the breath of the forests of the land, and the
plants of the sea … Linked in a web of
community, we are all interconnected.”
✢ – David Suzuki from “The Declaration of
Interdependence”
Defining Environmental
Education
✢ Environmental education can be defined as
education FOR the environment.
✢ Environmental education deals with education that
aims to share new knowledge that will make
humankind aware of environmental problems so as
to bring influence values and positive attitudes
towards the environment.
✢ It is also concerned with acquiring new skills that
will find solutions to environmental problems by
means of participative active learning
Individual activity
✢ Explain, in your own words, the key
difference between the four definitions of
Environmental Education.
✢ Indicate six key concepts, which
environmental educationists should study.
Four definitions of Environmental Education
✢ Stapp (1969:30-31) ✢ IUCN (1972)

✢ Environmental education ✢ Environmental education is a

is aimed at producing a process during which values are
citizenry that is discovered and concepts
explained in order to develop
knowledgeable
skills and attitudes pertaining to
concerning the an appreciation of the
biophysical environment relationship between man, his
and its associated culture and his biophysical
problems, aware of how environment. Environmental
to help solve these education also includes the
problems, and motivated practice of decision making and
to work toward their the formulation of a personal
code of conduct on matters
solution.
affecting the quality of the

✢ The Department of
Environmental Affairs
(1989)
✢ Environmental Education is
an on-going process leading
to the development of a
Southern African population
that is aware of, and
concerned about the total
human environment and its
associated problems, and
that has the knowledge,
attitudes, motivations,
commitment and skills to
work both individually and
together towards the
✢ O’Donoghue (1993:32-34) “more
focused”
✢ A refocusing and maturing of environment and development
education through a “message” and practical “experiences” …
The idea of communities interacting within socio-ecological
frames of reference (e.g. catchment, biosphere, globe) is likely
to be more useful than the categorisations in terms of race and
language that have characterised social life in South Africa. A
focus on Community, Learning, Environment, Active
awareness and Resources [CLEAR] … clarifies, broadens and
enhances existing [by 1993] approaches to Environmental
Education in both formal education and community
development contexts. An ‘ACTION’ framework for fieldwork
is a valuable part of a governmental initiative that developed as
part of a global initiative to monitor water quality [the Global
Rivers Environmental Education Network – GREEN) and that
is inclusive of a solving process in which community and
school action groups can participate.
Provide one practical example from any local
environmental issue to explain the
biophysical, the social, the economic or the
political environment
Why a historical perspective?
Historical perspectives
✢Give us an understanding of how we got where
we are
✢Remind us that our efforts and ideas stand on
the shoulders of those who precede us
✢Temper our collective thinking and
assumptions
✢Emphasise that historical incidents, events,
attitudes and interpretations are closely
interwoven
✢Encourage us to question our own assumptions
ENVIRONMENT AND THE HISTORY OF
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
✢ To connect ✢ If the main focus then of
“environment” and environmental education
environmental matters to programmes in the last
a specific discipline or three decades has been
context implies that a to change human's
dimension is added to environmental behaviour
the basic concept through increasing
“environment” that is of environmental
importance in another knowledge
context and debated • Multi-disciplinary
from another angle. • Theory and practical
applications
• Change human's behaviour
to the environment
Humans have only one place to live,
and if the care factor is ignorance
then the outcome will be detrimental
to life sustainability for present and
future generations.
The need for environmental
education has developed
out of a need to address
environmental destructions
committed over centuries.
Begin hier
donderdg/
Woensdag
1. International
Development
Importance of EE and focus towards sustainable
development
Development from a
people-environment
relationship to a
sophisticated
relationship between
humanity's actions and
all aspects of the
environment.
Issues start with Industrialization

“The Industrial
Revolution has caused
an unprecedented
alienation of Man from
Nature ” – Keith
Wheeler (1975)
From an education standpoint
(Pre-1900's)
✢ Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
advocated the importance of the
understanding of the natural environment in a
child's education

✢ Patrick Geddes (Scottish prof. 1854-1933)

posited the position that all forms of
environment is of concern (cities etc. also
account for environment.
Big Changes
After WW2 followed an incubation of ideas
and plans for a better world.

✢ UNESCO (United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
(1946)

✢ IUCN (International Union for the

conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources) (1948) – First
comprehensive definition of EE, albeit
focus on science

✢ World Wildlife Fund (1961)

After formation – 1970's
onwards
✢ 1972 – United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment held in
Stockholm
○ First time 'rich' and 'poor' nations
discussed matters of environmental
concern
○ UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) –
Nairobi, establish term EE

✢ 1977 – Intergovernmental Conference

on EE
○ Tbilisi (USSR) – Established the 12 EE
principles
○ (Carter +, Reagan -) and SA refrains
After formation – 1970's
onwards
✢ 1980-1990 – Common crisis reports
○ Brandt report – "Common crisis North
and South"
○ Brundland Report – "Our common
future"
○ Nyerere Report – "Report of the South"

✢ 1992 – Rio Earth Summit (Caring for

the Earth)
○ Agenda 21 – EE as educational response
(incl NGO forum principles)
○ Start of seriously pursuing sustainable
development in EE (We are all learners
etc)
○ USA refuse to ratify (5% pop, 50%
destruction)
After formation – 1970's onwards

✢ 1997 – Earth Summit +5, Unesco – Education for a

sustainable future

✢ 2002 – World Summit on Sustainable Development

(Johannesburg)
○ Agenda for socio-ecological, political and economic
transformation

Since then: Rio +20 (2012)

Unesco general conference (2014)
2015 – Paris Climate Accord (Obama vs Trump)
2016 – Unesco GAP(Global Action
Programme) Roadmap
✢ Begin hier Maandag
Credits
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