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Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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CSI info 7
SUSTAINABLE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT
IN THE SEYCHELLES: ROLE OF EDUCATION
Michèle
Martin, representing
the Ministry of Education, Seychelles
During the past four years there has been much discussion in the Seychelles about sustainable coastal development and integrated coastal zone management. Various stakeholders, including representatives from education, have been involved in an array of sometimes unrelated national and regional workshops on the subject. Inevitably, one of the outcomes of all of these meetings is the recognition of the vital role education must play in the development of a society able to live sustainably in coastal areas.
As the Seychelles is an archipelago of small islands, most of its land area can be considered to be coastal, and most human activities have a direct impact on the coastal environment. For example, as new roads and housing developments cut into the hillside, rain washes loose red earth into the sea where it settles on sea grass beds and coral reefs. Pesticide and fertilizer run-off from agricultural activities eventually finds its way to the sea. Sewage from faulty domestic septic systems along hillsides and on the coast seeps into rivers and is then washed down to the sea. Most industrial developments are along the coast, where their effluent poses a potential hazard to coastal and marine life. The dumping site on the main island of Mahe is located on reclaimed land (coral fill) along the coast where leachate seeps into the adjacent sea. Environmental education activities that seek to address these problems all potentially could have a impact on sustainable coastal development.
Since the early eighties, the Seychelles Ministry of Education has placed a strong emphasis on the environment in the national curriculum at primary and secondary school levels. Since this time, Seychellois pupils have learnt about the sea and coast in a range of subjects including science, English, art, French, Creole, and geography. More recently, the Ministry of Education brought out an environmental education policy, outlining its commitment to further development of environmental education in the national curriculum from Crèche (nursery) to Polytechnic. In 1997 a curriculum guidelines document was produced which details a series of environmental learning objectives to be integrated into the national curriculum; it includes a strong focus on the marine environment. At present a new unit on coastal environments is being developed for the primary school science programme, and another is planned for secondary school geography.
Part of the Ministry of Education’s strategy to further integrate environmental education into the curriculum is to provide training in environmental education (EE) for in-service and pre-service teachers. Since 1993, short workshops on various aspects of EE have been offered every year for primary and secondary school and polytechnic teachers. In addition, in 1994 the local teacher training institution introduced a popular optional module on environmental education for pre-service primary and secondary school teachers. Teacher training initiatives aim to provide teachers with opportunities to learn more about the local environment and ecology, environmental problems, and provide them with first-hand experience through field trips and project work.
However, due to several constraints, schools at present are limited in their capacity to provide students with opportunities to participate actively in projects related to sustainable coastal development as part of their timetabled lessons. It is rather in the context of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that students are being more actively involved in coastal and marine conservation education.
For example, each year in the Seychelles, the Ministry of Tourism collaborates with diving centres and the Ministry of Education to organize a festival of underwater photography, the ‘SUBIOS’ festival the Sub-Indian Ocean Seychelles (under-water photography festival, Seychelles). Included in the annual programme of activities are art and creative writing competitions for schoolchildren, which are taken up as co-curricular activities by art and language teachers. This popular event provides an excellent opportunity for students and teachers to get involved in learning about coastal areas. In addition, SUBIOS guest speakers (internationally renowned underwater photographers and marine biologists) make presentations in schools on a range of topics related to the marine environment.
A local non-governmental organization, Wildlife Clubs of Sey chelles (WCS), works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education to co-ordinate a network of extra-curricular environment and wildlife clubs in schools. WCS organizes training sessions for club leaders to familiarize them with local wildlife and conservation issues. Many of these clubs work on activities pertinent to sustainable coastal development, such as monitoring coastal wildlife, visiting coastal habitats, t ree planting along coastal areas, visiting marine parks, cleaning beaches etc. In June, 1998, in recognition of the Year of the Ocean, all the wildlife clubs joined together for a march through the capital to promote the protection of oceans and marine life. More recently, clubs organized and performed a variety show for the general public, which focused on the protection of the marine environment. At present, WCS is working on a coastal and marine activity book for children, which will include a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to help children learn about the marine environment and participate in conservation.
The Ministry of Education also works in partnership with the Division of Environment (DOE), which is mandated to co-ordinate environmental education initiatives targeting the general public. The DOE works alongside the media (television, radio and newspapers) to produce regular articles, and television and radio programmes, which often focus on coastal development issues as well as school environmental initiatives in this domain.
In general, the situation in the Seychelles at the moment is conducive to environmental education initiatives, particularly in primary and secondary schools where there now exists a network of committed and enthusiastic teachers. The Ministry of Education’s close partnership with the Division of Environment and Wildlife Clubs of Seychelles is producing results: we are slowly beginning to see the development of a new generation of youth concerned about, and committed to, sustainability, including sustainable coastal development.
However, there still remains room for further development and new initiatives, particularly in terms of strengthening our co-operation with other small island states. Through our participation in the technical workshop in Maputo, Mozambique, on ‘Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management: The Role of Education and Communication’, we hope to establish new contacts with other individuals and organizations so that we can learn from them and share our experience.
