Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills submission of 24 August 2021
PE1880/A: Introduce awareness and practical experience of litter picking and waste separation into the school curriculum
I am writing in response to a request made for the Scottish Government’s views on the action called for in the above petition.
Background and wider context
In recent decades, the issue of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) has become a national and global priority. This priority is recognised by the United Nations which, in 2015, introduced 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and it was further emphasised with the Scottish Government’s declaration of a climate emergency.
As referenced in the petition, Learning for Sustainability (LfS) is a theme across Curriculum for Excellence that brings together global citizenship, sustainable development education and outdoor learning. Through education in these areas we are committed to providing learners with the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge and values to live socially, economically and environmentally sustainable lives.
The government is committed to increasing the prevalence of LfS within our curriculum. In June 2019 we published the Learning for Sustainability Action Plan which will take forward all 14 recommendations of the concluding report of the Learning for Sustainability National Implementation Group – Vision 2030+. Our plan focuses action around: strengthening the place of LfS within curriculum and assessment delivery; supporting educators in delivering effective and relevant LfS; and supporting education establishments to adapt the learning environment to better facilitate sustainability education.
Litter and waste management in schools
In relation to the petition’s request to “make an appropriate level of daily cleaning part of the curriculum in schools, including litter picking and waste separation”, the Scottish Government believes that individual schools should determine the precise content of their curriculum and their timetable at school-level. Whilst the government agrees with the ultimate aim behind the petition – i.e. the aim to increase public awareness of the importance of addressing litter, and to begin this awareness-raising in schools – we would prefer to avoid excessive prescription in relation to school-level curricula.
As stated, LfS features already as an entitlement within the curriculum, with a number of existing experiences and outcomes which encourage learning about litter and waste, for example:
“I can discuss the sustainability of key natural resources and analyse the possible implications for human activity.”
“I can analyse products taking into consideration sustainability, scientific and technological developments.”
“I can make suggestions as to how individuals and organisations may use technologies to support sustainability and reduce the impact on our environment.”
“When preparing and cooking a variety of foods, I am becoming aware of the journeys which foods make from source to consumer, their seasonality, their local availability and their sustainability.”
“I can discuss the sustainability of key natural resources and analyse the possible implications for human activity.”
Key to Learning for Sustainability is the fact that sustainability is conceived of not just as a learning topic but as a whole school issue. For example, when schools tackle LfS as a cross curricular theme, they are encouraged to consider the role of school canteens and the school’s relationship with suppliers and with local businesses, the food packaging they use and their responsibility for cleaning up litter.
Another important element is the role of the local authority, who can act as an important facilitator (or barrier) when school pupils and school leaders are aiming to improve their school’s approach to recycling waste. The government would therefore point to the important role played by local authorities and COSLA.
A final aspect in considering this petition is the role played by the Eco-Schools Scotland programme. Many schools engage with LfS, and specifically the theme of litter and waste collection, through Eco Schools. The Scottish Government provides annual funding of £300,000 to Keep Scotland Beautiful in order to deliver the programme across Scotland. The government therefore views the Eco Schools programme as an important vehicle with which to encourage and support schools to integrate learning about litter and litter picking activity as part of children’s learning. Litter is the only core topic in the Eco-Schools programme, and must be one of the three topics covered in order to achieve Green Flag Award status. For example as part of the programme, pupils can engage in litter survey activity, litter analysis activity, they can learn about single use plastic and waste collection.
Given the importance of the Eco-Schools programme in the context of this petition, the Scottish Government will alert Keep Scotland Beautiful to the petition and ask if they can explore ways in which their programme may be further strengthened in relation to the litter picking topic.
Broader action to address litter and waste management
School education is only one aspect in the government’s approach to address issues in relation to litter and waste management. As the Committee will be aware, we aim to make Scotland a zero waste society by improving resources efficiency, taking action to reduce and recycle food waste, introducing a deposit return scheme and other key measures.
Our National Litter Strategy “Towards a Litter-Free Scotland,” which was published in 2014, has now come to the end of its five year lifespan. Work has now begun to refresh the National Litter Strategy as a National Litter and Fly-tipping Strategy. A 12-week public consultation will take place at the end of this year, and the refreshed strategy will be published in early 2022. This approach recognises that these are different issues and will allow a tailored approach to be taken to each of them. Recognising the important role of education in litter prevention, communications and behaviour change has been identified as one of the four key themes which will be the focus of this refreshed strategy.
Conclusion
I am grateful to the petitioners for their efforts to bring this matter to the attention of both the Parliament and the government. As stated, while the government is not minded to mandate a particular weekly time for litter picking in schools, I am keen to ensure that the aims behind the petition are highlighted to the relevant education organisations. To this end, I have asked my officials to share details of the petition as well as this government response with Education Scotland. In addition, I have asked officials to engage with Keep Scotland Beautiful in order to alert them to this petition and to explore whether they can further strengthen their programme to support learning about litter and waste management.