Embrace innovation to achieve SDGs — Panellists

Panellists at a conference on Education for Sustainable Development have called on schools to teach environmental development as their contribution to the country’s effort towards achieving the sustainable development Goals (SDGs).

They also urged schools to embrace innovation and collaboration to improve education on the environment.

Additionally, they called for the involvement of children, as agents of change, to significantly contribute to the attainment of the SDGs.

The panellists were the Headmaster of St K. Michael’s School, Sedem Cadeam Godiglo; Eco-Schools Committee Chairman at the Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC); Kwesi Boateng Acheampong, and Eco-Schools Coordinator at Akosombo International School, Jerome Doosogla.

The conference was organised in Accra yesterday by the Centre for Sustainable Transformation (CeST) as part of activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Eco-Schools Programme implemented by CeST.

It was on the theme: “Future of Education: A Conference in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): As part of Eco-Schools Ghana @10 anniversary: Where do we go from here?”

The panellists indicated that the teaching of environmental development as part of subjects such as integrated science, social studies, and creative arts had empowered students to be responsible for managing their waste. 

Impact of programme 

In view of projects undertaken under the programme, the panellists explained that waste had significantly reduced in their schools, homes and surroundings.

Mr Godiglo said the Eco-Schools programme had helped improve tree planting in and around the school and encouraged the making of compost out of waste. 

For Mr Acheampong, plastic waste pollution has been reduced since the school began collecting, recycling and reusing them.

Mr Doosogla said practising waste segregation had also improved waste management in their school. 

Eco-Schools

The Co-founder of the Centre for Sustainable Transformation, Hilde Opoku, said Eco-Schools aimed to contribute its quota to achieve the SDGs, particularly SDG 4 which focuses on the environment.

She said their effort was also in fulfilment of SDG 4.7, which states that "By 2030 all learners must acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development".

She reiterated that the SDGs must be integrated into the education curriculum, stating that CeST was ready to partner policymakers to scale up the programme.

“We are also partnering with institutions such as the British Council, UNESCO and some international schools, where we provide our lessons and strategies so they can teach teachers to be equipped enough to go back to the schools and teach,” she said.

Collective effort

The acting Director of the Institute for Environmental and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana Legon, Professor Benedicta Ofosu Mensah, called for a collective effort to intensify environmental education to ensure sustainable development.

She said the country must reimagine an educational system in which sustainable development is ‘woven into curriculum at all levels of education’.

She, however, indicated that children and communities must be exposed to proper environmental practices.

She also urged the government to prioritise budgets on environmental development.