Do Ambiente ao Desenvolvimento Sustentável : contextos e protagonistas da Educação Ambiental em Portugal
Miniatura indisponível
Data
2013
Autores
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ISSN da revista
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Editora
Edições Universitárias Lusófonas
Resumo
No âmbito da década 2005-2014 proclamada pela UNESCO para a Educação
para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (EDS), realizou-se um diagnóstico que
teve como principais objetivos conhecer o tipo de projetos, temáticas e intervenientes
da Educação Ambiental (EA) em Portugal, a partir de dois inquéritos
de âmbito nacional — um aplicado a um vasto leque de organizações não-escolares
estatais, privadas e associativas e outro aplicado ao universo português
de estabelecimentos de ensino básico e secundário. Dando conta de alguns
dos resultados mais representativos, procura-se contribuir para uma descrição
fundamentada em observação empírica. Refira-se, por exemplo, o persistente
afunilamento do espaço de incidência da EA/EDS que sobrevaloriza a questão
ecológica em desfavor da questão cívica, deixando na sombra áreas tão importantes
para a sustentabilidade como as atividades económicas, ou as questões
da qualidade de vida. Esta auto-delimitação tende a expressar-se também no
peso excessivo da escola, dos estudantes e dos grupos mais jovens, em desfavor
de uma maior abrangência que permitisse alargar o âmbito, à comunidade
escolar, às famílias e à comunidade envolvente em geral. Caraterísticas que
resultam da desarticulação entre uma visão mais curricular do Ministério da
Educação e uma prática mais assente em aspetos recreativos do Ministério do
Ambiente, uma situação que tende a não criar as necessárias sinergias.
As part of the UNESCO Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2005-2014, a study was undertaken with the main aim of determining the type of projects, subject areas and participants involved in environmental education (EE) in Portugal. The study was based on two national surveys – one directed at a wide range of non-school state, private and cooperative organisations; the other at primary and secondary schools. The specific objective was to determine the extent to which the promoters and facilitators of EE/ESD have adopted the new trends and concepts emerged in this area, taking into account the fact that on-going initiatives may follow two differing approaches: i) a more naturalist and traditional approach based on natural scientific knowledge, and ii) a newlydeveloping and more innovative approach that places greater emphasis on the close ties and dynamic relationships between environmental quality, socio-political and socio-economic factors. Notwithstanding controversies arising for differing reasons (inertia/conservatism or complaint/contestation), the aim of this new approach is to achieve a more significant role for sustainable development in the broad social field of citizenship education and mobilising support for sustainable development. By reporting some of the most representative results, our aim is to contribute to a description of EE/ESD based on empirical observation. One finding, for example, refers to the persistent narrowing of the field of action that results from the predominance of ecological over civic issues. The general picture, despite some exceptions, is of initiatives dominated by traditional formats and themes (e.g. urban solid waste, nature conservation) and an underestimation of other areas of equal importance for sustainable development, such as greater coordination between schools and local communities in dealing with problems related to socio-economic, health, urban planning, quality of life, etc. Trend that is also evident in the excessive weight given to younger students, to the detriment of a wider approach that would broaden the scope of EE by including the entire age range of school communities, and a model that involves more effective ties with local communities, as described above.
As part of the UNESCO Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 2005-2014, a study was undertaken with the main aim of determining the type of projects, subject areas and participants involved in environmental education (EE) in Portugal. The study was based on two national surveys – one directed at a wide range of non-school state, private and cooperative organisations; the other at primary and secondary schools. The specific objective was to determine the extent to which the promoters and facilitators of EE/ESD have adopted the new trends and concepts emerged in this area, taking into account the fact that on-going initiatives may follow two differing approaches: i) a more naturalist and traditional approach based on natural scientific knowledge, and ii) a newlydeveloping and more innovative approach that places greater emphasis on the close ties and dynamic relationships between environmental quality, socio-political and socio-economic factors. Notwithstanding controversies arising for differing reasons (inertia/conservatism or complaint/contestation), the aim of this new approach is to achieve a more significant role for sustainable development in the broad social field of citizenship education and mobilising support for sustainable development. By reporting some of the most representative results, our aim is to contribute to a description of EE/ESD based on empirical observation. One finding, for example, refers to the persistent narrowing of the field of action that results from the predominance of ecological over civic issues. The general picture, despite some exceptions, is of initiatives dominated by traditional formats and themes (e.g. urban solid waste, nature conservation) and an underestimation of other areas of equal importance for sustainable development, such as greater coordination between schools and local communities in dealing with problems related to socio-economic, health, urban planning, quality of life, etc. Trend that is also evident in the excessive weight given to younger students, to the detriment of a wider approach that would broaden the scope of EE by including the entire age range of school communities, and a model that involves more effective ties with local communities, as described above.
Descrição
Revista Lusófona de Educação
Palavras-chave
EDUCAÇÃO, EDUCATION, EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ESCOLAS, SCHOOLS