The Swaziland Environment Action Plan (SEAP)

Contents | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

8.0 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, PUBLIC AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION

Environmental Education in Swaziland began largely through the efforts of the Swaziland National Trust Commission (a parastatal organization) and through non-governmental organisations. A National Environmental Education Programme was established in 1975 under the aegis of the SNTC at Mlilwane, a private game reserve. The programme was largely designed for school children who visited the reserve, and consisted of a combination of interpretation and presentations, using visual aids and films.

8.1 Environmental Education in the Formal Education System

8.1.1 Primary School Level

In the 1970s and 1980s, Swaziland, assisted by USAID began developing its own primarily school curricula. Since that time, there have been individual initiatives to integrate environmental concerns into some of the subjects, i.e. Science, Practical Arts, Home Economics, Agriculture .

8.1.2 Secondary and High School Level

At junior certificate level l (Grades 7 and 8), a course called "Development Studies" was designed, which also incorporates environmental studies. At high school level, there are some courses, e.g. Geography and Agriculture that contain environmental elements, but this is done in an indirect and incidental manner.

8.1.3 Tertiary Level

At UNISWA, only the Geography and Environmental Studies Department offers a specific course on Environmental Studies. Other departments, e.g. Science, Agriculture, offer subjects which have elements of environment. At Swaziland College of Technology (SCOT) and Vocational and Commercial Training Institute (VOCTIM) there is no environmental education offered. The teacher training colleges made efforts to integrate some environmental issues within existing courses, specially in science and social studies when their diploma course of studies was developed.

8.2 Non-formal Environmental Education

8.2.1 National Environmental Education Programme

The National Environmental Education Programme (NEEP) is Swaziland's agency for creating environmental public awareness. Following are some of its present activities:

  • Acting as facilitator and secretariat to the National Environmental Education Steering Committee which comprises representatives from the Ministry of Education (Curriculum Centre, In-Service Education, inspectorate, and teacher training colleges); private Game Reserves which conduct EE; Yonge Nawe, UNISWA. This committee is carrying out a coordinating, networking, and catalysing function for EE activities in the country.
  • Operating three EE resource centres (Malolotja, Mlawula, and Lobamba)
  • Facilitating the "Clean and Beautiful Swaziland" Forum, a voluntary association of representatives of governmental agencies, non-governmental organisations, and private sector who work towards promoting better waste disposal, recycling, rehabilitation of eroded areas, reforestation, and appropriate legislation and education to bring about greater public participation in keeping Swaziland clean and beautiful.
  • Strengthening the capacity of the Curriculum Centre to incorporate EE into the formal education system through workshops for teachers and production of materials
  • Providing small grants for assistance to EE projects.

8.2.2 Yonge Nawe

Yonge Nawe is a leading NGO working on EE. It was originally formed in 1987 to establish and support school conservation clubs. Its functions have expanded to include the promotion of adult conservation clubs, EE workshops for a wide range of the community (club leaders, teachers, traditional healers, extension officers, decision-makers, women, etc.). It is assisting communities in some of their environmental projects, e.g. grazing schemes, water protection, tree planting, erosion control. In addition, it produces and distributes some EE materials.

8.2.3 Other NGOs

There is an increasing number of NGOs which are now promoting EE sometimes as an end in itself, and sometimes as part of their development activities. Among these are Emanti Esive (water projects); Family Life Association (family planning education); and the Swaziland Farmers Development Foundation (soil and water conservation). Several churches are also promoting EE as part of their development activities. Among them are the Council of Churches, the Baha'i Community and the Lutheran Foundation.

8.3 Informal Environmental Education

The media of radio is widely used in Swaziland, and presently, through free time allocated to line ministries and NGOs, is being used to raise public environmental awareness. Newspaper space and TV time is expensive and not used systematically.

8.4 Environmental Education and Public Awareness and Participation Issues

  1. There are many separate endeavours in EE & C (Environmental Education and Communication) and independent ideas about its meaning and scope. A common vision is needed;
  2. Most of the Environmental Education and Communication activities implemented to date have come from the NGO and private sector;
  3. Activities to integrate EE into the formal school system have been independent initiatives without an overall plan;
  4. Many NGOs are promoting EE as part of their development activities, but they often lack the qualified personnel to carry it out effectively;
  5. Aside from a weekly radio programme by Yonge Nawe, the mass media is greatly under-utilised in promoting public environmental awareness;
  6. There are no environmental public broadcasting services;
  7. There is a lack of EE materials, especially audio/visual, on local and national environmental issues; Materials on indigenous knowledge of environmental strategies are also needed;
  8. There has been little, if any, evaluation of existing EE strategies and materials;
  9. Research on EE in Swaziland is lacking.

8.5 Policy

There is no Environmental Education Policy.

8.5.1 Broad Objectives

The development of a National Environmental Education Strategy has been identified as a priority. In its development, broad policy objectives will need to be followed. These will include:

  • Integration of EE into primary school curriculum through infusion into existing subjects and not through the creation of a separate EE course;
  • Integration of EE into junior secondary level programme through the subject Development Studies
  • Integration of EE into relevant secondary level subjects under appropriate topics, and tied to existing environmental problems and issues;
  • Introduction of EE into all tertiary educational institutions.

8.5.2 Priority Actions

ACTIONS PRIORITY TIME FRAME RESPONSIBILITY

Develop a National Environmental Education & Communication Strategy in order to obtain a common vision and develop a holistic, coordinated national plan for EE and C.

1

Short Term

NEEP (National EE Steering Committee)

Support the National EE Steering Committee (NEEP) to continue to coordinate EE activities to be implemented under the SEAP

2

Medium Term

SEA

Provide training and locate financial resources for NGOs who are effectively carrying out EE & C

 1

Short, Medium, and Long Term

SEA

Integrate EE into the formal primary and secondary school curricula, and train teachers

1

Medium Term

MOE (NCC and INSET)

Integrate EE into tertiary institutions, i.e. TTCs, Technical Institutions, UNISWA, and train lecturers

2

Long Term

MOE, UNISWA

Regularly broadcast environmental public information programmes

2

Medium to Long Term

MOPSI

Use traditional events (e.g. Incwala, Butimba) as opportunities for EE

2

Long Term

Tinkhundla, NGOs

Develop audio visual materials on local and national environmental issues for EE & C

1

Short to Medium Term

MOE, MTEC, NGOs

Research and compile materials on appropriate indigenous knowledge strategies

1

Medium Term

MTEC (SNTC)

Suggestions or comments. This page was last updated on 06 May 2003