§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the provision for environmental education in Scottish primary and secondary schools.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonEducation has an essential part to play in ensuring public awareness of the environment and environmental issues which are at stake. The 5–14 programme, which covers primary and early secondary schooling in Scotland, gives specific recognition to environmental education, both as a permeating influence throughout the curriculum and more specifically within the environmental studies area of the curriculum. The national guidelines 5–14 seek to develop informed attitudes and values relating to the care and conservation of the environment.
In the later years of secondary education, opportunities for environmental education occur in standard grade subjects and there is also a range of SCOTVEC units and modules related to environmental education.
As with other areas of the curriculum, inspections by Her Majesty's inspectors of schools address the level and quality of environmental education.
The report "Learning for Life", produced by the Secretary of State's working group on environmental education in Scotland, is being carefully considered, alongside the responses made to the report during the recent public consultation exercise.