Shaping our schools, shaping our future : Environmental education in Ontario schools

Evidence • In Canadian and World Studies, Grades 9 and 10 of this gap exists at every level of the system: (2005) and Canadian and World Studies, Grades 11 • The reorganization of curriculum in the late and 12 (2005), the environment continues to be a 1990s significantly reduced the opportunities to fundamental concept underlying all courses; all study the subject of the environment as a result ge [...] Bondar, the Working munity leaders and education experts who advise the Group reviewed a broad range of programs and prac- Minister of Education on elementary and secondary tices in the field of environmental education in school curriculum, through academic research, compar- Ontario, Canada, and international jurisdictions. [...] Accordingly, the Working Group on Environmental Education has developed the following comprehensive definition of environmental education, and recommends that it be adopted as the definition used in Ontario schools: Environmental education is education about the environment, for the environment, and in the environment that promotes an understanding of, rich and active experience in, and an appreci [...] In reviewing the ments of Ontario’s elementary and secondary work of these jurisdictions, members of the school curriculum, there are few topics directly Working Group noted a number of successful prac- focused on environmental education, and content tices and approaches that may be adapted to posi- tends to be fragmented and inconsistent in the tively influence the development of environmental ab [...] In the interest of guiding the development of such a THE PROVINCE policy, the Working Group has identified three core Leadership from the provincial government, includ- components that are seen as essential to the success- ing the Ministry of Education and the Ministries of ful implementation of environmental education in the Environment, Energy, Natural Resources, and Ontario schools: Training, C