Information Bulletin
28 June 2004
Skeld Primary School achieves an Eco School Award
Skeld Primary School has joined the growing list of Shetland schools to achieve Eco School Accreditation. The school will be presented with its first Eco School flag at a presentation and open day tomorrow, Tuesday 29 June 2004.
The Eco School programme is a Europe wide network of schools committed to continuous improvement of their environmental performance. It is both an environmental management system and a programme for promoting environmental and sustainable development awareness and citizenship within the school and its community.
The programme must involve the whole school - pupils, teachers, non teaching staff and school board - as well as the local community in auditing, planning and developing an environmental programme based around seven elements - litter, recycling and waste minimisation, energy, water, transport, healthy living and school grounds.
Skeld Primary School impressed the assessors as an excellent example of a school and community addressing real local issues. A spokesperson for the programme said, "The school has a long tradition of excellent environmental work which it carries forward on a very broad front. Its links into the community for support and advice ensure that the work is well embedded within the community as well as the school itself. They are to be congratulated on their excellent performance".
Shetland now has over 70% of its schools registered with and working on the Eco School programme and holds the highest number of fourth flag schools in the United Kingdom. 18 individual flags are now held by Shetland schools, spread over eight schools. This is one of the highest percentages in the United Kingdom.
For further advice and information on the programme please contact Mary Lisk, the local programme co-ordinator on (01595) 744818.