Two Midlothian schools awarded Eco-Schools Green Flag Award status
Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has awarded two Midlothian schools with an Eco-Schools Green Flag. St David's RC Primary School, Dalkeith has renewed the award it has held since 2014 and Woodburn Primary School has achieved its first Green Flag.
Eco-schools
The international award recognises nurseries and schools that have demonstrated a commitment to the Eco-Schools Scotland programme and, over two years, have engaged their whole school community in local environmental action.
Litter picks
Pupils at St David's organised a community litter pick and campaigned against fly tipping in an area of local woodland. At Woodburn Primary, pupils volunteered to litter pick, with clean up stations positioned at school entrances. They also campaigned against dog fouling in the neighbourhood and adopted Cowan Park as an area to take care of.
Environmental awareness
Through the Eco-Schools Scotland programme, Keep Scotland Beautiful aims to make environmental awareness and action to tackle climate change an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of schools, for both pupils and staff. To complete the Green Flag journey each school has a choice of ten topics to engage with, from food and the environment, to litter, to energy. The schools also choose one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to link with their Eco-Schools work.
Congratulations
Barry Fisher, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Congratulations to the Eco-Committee, pupils and staff at each of these schools, who have worked so hard to achieve their Green Flag Award, particularly during a time of unprecedented adjustment and change to education caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Keep Scotland Beautiful is committed to supporting all our children and young people to develop the capacities, skills and attributes required to protect our planet for the future.”
Hard work recognised
Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Jim Muirhead added his congratulations: “I am delighted that the hard work and enthusiasm of pupils and staff at both these schools has been recognised with a Green Flag award. By focusing on improving the areas in and around their school communities, pupils have demonstrated a commitment to their local environment, as well as learning about the global challenges of climate change.”
More information
- More on Eco-Schools Scotland can be found on the Keep Scotland Beautiful website.