Written answers

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Education Policy

Photo of Patrick CostelloPatrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the Programme for Government commitment to promote biodiversity initiatives across primary, post-primary and third-level sectors and ensure that schools, colleges and universities across the country play an active role in providing areas to promote biodiversity. [26952/21]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2014-2020 aims to ensure that “education contributes to sustainable development by equipping learners with the relevant knowledge (the ‘what’), the key dispositions and skills (the ‘how’) and the values (the ‘why’) that will motivate and empower them throughout their lives to become informed active citizens who take action for a more sustainable future”.

This goal is aligned with the target set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4.7 and spans all levels of education, from early childhood to higher education, as well as including non-formal learning environments. I launched a public consultation on the development of the next National Strategy together with Minister Foley in the Department of Education on Earth Day, 22nd April and this will remain open for engagement until the end of June 2021.

ESD is both a target in itself but also a key enabler for delivery of all 17 SDGs. It addresses the nexus of Environmental, Political and Socio-Economic issues at the local and global levels and includes a focus on Bio-diversity within the Environmental strand.

An audit of the curriculum for opportunities and linkages with ESD, published by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in 2018 shows that biodiversity (SDG 15) is integrated in Junior Cycle Science and Senior Cycle Agricultural Science but teachers can engage with the topic of biodiversity across a wide range of subjects (e.g. Art – design a poster promoting biodiversity, Languages – write an essay on biodiversity etc.). A wide range of ESD resources and programmes are available to schools to assist them to deliver ESD in the classroom and these are available centrally through the Department of Education’s portal: Scoilnet.

Bio-diversity is explored as a theme through the Green Schools and Green Campus programmes, led by An Taisce. Currently 94% of schools are involved in Green Schools and 40 higher education institution campuses are registered on the programme, 15 of whom have been awarded the Green Flag. Many higher education institutions have placed emphasis on providing areas on campus to promote Bio-Diversity. For example, UCC has a bio-diversity action plan 2018-2023, taking a comprehensive approach to managing biodiversity on its campuses, DCU’s community garden initiative is working with the Irish Beekeeping Association to help bees and promote biodiversity on campus; and Trinity College Dublin has planted a wildflower meadow on College Green. Higher education institutions are also embedding biodiversity in programmes and as a focus of research. For example, GMIT has a number of research projects focused on marine bio-diversity in Galway Bay.

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