The list of China’s fourth batch of green flag honored schools has been revealed. Dahushan Lu No.1 Primary School is the first school that has won such a title in Yangpu.
To provide broader development space and demonstration stage for China’s green schools and push China’s school environment and sustainable education to the next level, the Propaganda and Education Center affiliated to the Ministry of Environmental Protection officially launched the project of construction of internationally ecological schools in China in June 2009. Schools that meet international ecological school standards and related requirements will be granted with the honor of the green flag of internationally ecological schools. According to the principal of Yangpu District Youth Science Station, Yangpu started to participate in the project since 2011. Four green schools of the district and city level have participated in the training for this project and obtained the qualification for application.
What is special for the education in ecological schools? The reporter paid a site visit to Dahushan Lu No.1 Primary School. In this chilly winter, cedars and meadows of the school are still green to decorate the vitality of the campus. Many lanterns made from waste papers are hanging in the lobby of the Teaching Building. According to the principal of the school, the concept of green and environmental protection has not only been integrated into the teaching but the daily life of the school.
Since the day when it took the initiative to build itself into an internationally ecological school, Dahushan Lu No.1 Primary School has been rigidly following the “Seven Steps for Construction of an Ecological School” and carried out the planning and study of two theme events at school, including green traffic and trash to treasure.
The first step was to set up Ecological School Committee; the second was to carry out environmental appraisal; the third was to work out the action plan; the fourth was to monitor and assessment; the fifth was to build connection with curriculum; the sixth was social promotion and participation; the seventh was ecological regulations.
The school hopes that the students are not only able to see green but root the seed of green in their hearts. The Internationally Ecological Committee of the school organized environmental ambassadors to investigate pollutants and greenhouse gas emission around them. The school also teaches students to use carbon emission calculators and distributes family carbon emission questionnaires. The investigation and questionnaire results were the basis for the event of “I am the Green Ambassador.” The committee called on all students to make environmental protection bags with waste clothes, which would recycle wastes on the one side and make unique environmental protection bags on the other hand.