A Study Of The Involvement Of Environmental NGOs In Environmental Education In The UK

The UK is one of the more successful countries in developing environmental education,with its nascent environmental education emerging as early as the 1940 s and the UK playing a pivotal role in the international environmental arena.Today,many environmental NGOs and groups in the UK are working to raise public awareness of environmental issues and climate change and develop environmental awareness and skills by incorporating environmental and sustainability education into the curriculum.There are currently various ENGOs in the UK dedicated to environmental education,such as the National Association for Environmental Education(NAEE),the Field Studies Council(FSC)and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB).Exploring the process,main approaches,characteristics and shortcomings of the involvement of these ENGOs in environmental education will provide a reference for the involvement of ENGOs in environmental education in China.This study sorts out the history of ENGO involvement in environmental education from an account of the domestic and international contexts and key events in the development of environmental education and ENGOs in the UK and summarises four stages of development: nascent,exploration and growth,development and challenge,and maturity and integration.The period from the beginning of the 20 th century to 1968 was the nascent period of environmental NGO involvement in environmental education,during which environmental education and environmental NGOs developed independently and slowly until the 1960 s when they gradually became intertwined;the period from 1968 to 1988 was a period of exploration and growth of environmental NGO involvement in environmental education,with the establishment of the Council for Environmental Education(CEE)in the UK in 1968 as an important point The 1980 s was a period of rapid growth in the number of environmental NGOs and their initial exploration of their involvement in environmental education;1988 to 1998 was a period of development and challenge for environmental NGOs’ involvement in environmental education.The period from1998 to the present is a period of maturation and integration of ENGOs’ involvement in environmental education.1998 saw the establishment of a partnership between government and NGOs,the growth of ENGOs’ capacity and the development of their organizational systems.In this new phase,environmental NGOs have led to the integration of environmental education with education for sustainable development.Today,environmental NGOs in the UK are engaged in environmental education in several ways,the six main being as follows: Firstly,they are involved in the development of environmental education policy.There needs to be clearly articulated intentions for environmental education in UK education policy from central government,local government and individual schools,so many environmental NGOs in the UK have become more committed in recent years to bridge the policy and legal gaps in environmental education.Secondly,they have developed environmental education curricula.Some environmental NGOs have responded to the dilemma of formal environmental education by developing diverse and integrated environmental education curricula and activities for students.Third is the development of environmental education activities,including initiatives such as environmental education awareness campaigns,practice-based environmental protection activities and environmental education venue building.Fourth is the provision of training and consultancy,i.e.training courses for primary and secondary school teachers and volunteers from environmental organizations as well as environmental and environmental education-related consultancy services to the community.Fifth is the establishment of environmental education recognition and award schemes,where environmental NGOs have set up different award schemes for different subjects,such as schools,students and teachers.Sixth is the provision of financial support for environmental education projects and support for environmental education learning and research,including direct funding for environmental education directly to schools or running projects with partners.A case study of the National Association for Environmental Education(NAEE),the UK’s most influential NGO focused on environmental education,provides an insight into how NAEE is specifically involved in environmental education.Its main actions and achievements cover the main ways environmental NGOs are involved in environmental education,as described above,in the following ways: firstly,by setting environmental education goals and influencing policy development.Secondly,by developing curriculum guides for environmental education in primary and secondary schools and promoting curriculum development;thirdly,by providing financial support for students to visit outdoor education centres;and fourthly,by collaborating with organizations with relevant objectives in environmental education activities.In the process of participating in environmental education,the British environmental NGOs have four distinctive features in terms of their service content,organizational operation,organizational cooperation network and organizational construction and operation.The diversity of their network is evident from the diversity of their partners,projects and influence;the professionalism and scientific nature of their operations is evident from the rational construction of their organizations,the synchronization of academic research and social services,and the transparency of their information;and their ability to independently plan and organize environmental education projects and activities,to have independent funding channels,and to think and speak out independently about environmental education,which is evident from their high degree of independence and autonomy.In recent years,environmental NGOs in the UK have made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of environmental education with a wide range of influence.The involvement of ENGOs in the process of environmental education has achieved significant results in raising public awareness and skills in environmental protection,promoting sustainable development,influencing policy-making and forming a mature network of environmental education organizations.However,there are still three areas for improvement in the involvement of ENGOs in environmental education: their involvement in environmental education has a limited scope of impact,their vulnerability to financial sponsors and inadequate operating funds.At present,there are many things that could be improved in the current situation of environmental NGOs’ participation in environmental education in China.By making reference to the practice of environmental NGOs’ participation in environmental education in the UK,we can draw inspiration from the following:firstly,we should improve relevant policy regulations and strengthen management and guidance;secondly,environmental organizations should vigorously carry out media campaigns and adapt to the requirements of the new media era;thirdly,we should strengthen the capacity building of environmental organizations and build environmental education Fourthly,environmental NGOs should establish multi-faceted partnerships with schools,government and society.