Environmental Education in Jamaica

Jamaica has been focusing on environmental education for some time now. Some of the milestones are:

In 1975, Jamaica became an active artici ant in the international debate on environmental education based on the launching of a !"ES#$%!"E& International Environmental Education &rogramme and on the !"ES#$% !"E& Inter%'overnmental #onference on Environmental Education. Jamaican educators were among the authors of a !"ES#$% !"E& IEE& (International Environmental Education &rogramme) series of curriculum guides. In 19*+, 19*,, 19*7 and 19**, Jamaica artici ated in #aribbean regional activit- on environmental education. . national training wor/sho on environmental education was held b- the Jamaica 0inistr- of Education and !"ES#$ in 19*1. In 19*9, the #aribbean Journal of Education of the !1I 2acult- of Education ublished a double issue of its 3ournal devoted to environmental education. In 1991, the "atural 4esources #onservation .uthorit- was formed, whose mandate includes the romotion of 5 ublic awareness of the ecological s-stems of Jamaica and their im ortance to the social and economic life of the Island5. In 1996, Jamaica artici ated in the !nited "ations #onference on Environment and 7evelo ment at both the government and "'$ levels and has since e8 ressed su ort for the im lementation of .genda 61, including #ha ter ,9 on ublic awareness, education and training. In 199,, the "ational Environmental Education #ommittee ("EE#) was established in 199, to guideand mobilise environmental education activities in su ort of sustainable develo ment in Jamaica. Since 1995, the !1I School of Education has been delivering a ost% graduate, and later, an undergraduate course in EE aimed at creating awareness of the need for EE and e:ui ing educators with sufficient /nowledge and edagogical s/ills to effectivel- infuse EE into their teaching. ;hese courses also encourage artici ants to anal-<e values, feelings and motivation for active artici ation with others in romoting environmental rotection and im rovement. In 199*, Jamaica roduced a "ational Environmental Education .ction &lan forSustainable 7evelo ment. ;he &lan is a national framewor/ for

incor orating environmental education into all as ects of Jamaican life. It describes a vision of a sustainable future for Jamaica and resents s ecific goals and outcomes to achieve this vision. 'overnor 'eneral Sir =oward #oo/e launched the &lan at a ceremon- in June with the su ort of =on. >urchell 1hiteman, 0inister of Education ? #ulture and =on. Easton 7ouglas, 0inister of Environment ? =ousing. =on. 7ouglas also tabled the &lan in &arliament in June. ;he "EE#, su orted b- the '$J @ #I7. Environmental .ction (E".#;) &rogramme, develo ed the &lan, wor/ing with a range of sta/eholders throughout Jamaica re resenting communit- and national interests. Source: National Environmental Education Committee Secretariat, NRCA, Jamaica http://www.jsdnp.org.jm/envireduc .htm