■Regarding Efforts in the “Eco Capital: Adopt an Eco-school” Program
Koji Tsuchitani, Eco Capital Division, Environmental Crisis Management Department, Tokushima
“Eco Capital: Adopt an Eco-school” is a system established by Tokushima Prefecture in 2007, that applies the “adopt-a” model used for roads and rivers to environmental learning activities in schools, based on the concept of “local business supporting local human resource development.” Businesses and NGOs become “foster parents,” and support the environmental learning activities of their “adopted” schools. Under this system, the Otsuka Group (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and Eco-Capital Tokushima Creation Center, an NPO that supports the implementation of environmental activities in schools and in the prefecture, sign adoption agreements every year in order to nurture the development of talented people with a high sense of environmental responsibility who will proactively work to transform Tokushima into an eco-capital at the forefront of the 21st century – the century of the environment. For the first three years of Reiwa, the adopted school is Kamonaminami Elementary School in Tokushima-shi.
The primary efforts of Kamonaminami Elementary School in the first year of Reiwa were as follows:
1) Basing part of the curriculum of the fifth grade integrated studies period on the activity plan.
2) Having classes about the environment taught by outside instructors from organizations such as the Fukuroi Yosui Beautification Group and the Tokushima Environmental Conservation Section, in order for students to learn from people with real-world experience in the field.
3) Visiting Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.’s Itano, Tokushima plant to learn about the company’s environmental initiatives and biotope/ecosystem preservation efforts, and applying those lessons to the preservation of the biotope in their own school.
4) Publicizing the results of the year’s learning and efforts to a wide range of people at the school’s human rights assembly and environmental learning forum.
Regarding the curriculum and lesson plan, the school submits a preliminary draft, which is developed into a finalized plan by the three Otsuka companies and the NPO at a joint meeting. Regarding funding, the three companies and the NPO jointly contribute money, and actively work to reduce the burden on the school and support the students’ learning.
This system creates a synergistic effect when the groups that have signed the agreement actively work to protect the environment. The schools can advance a more in-depth environmental education by going beyond the boundaries of the school and learning directly from the activities of the companies. The companies can promote their own activities, and also learn about the actual situation in schools to plan future business activities while considering what kind of support is most effective. The NPO and Tokushima Prefecture can raise awareness about environmental issues among a wide range of organizations and age groups, and promote Tokushima as an eco-capital by building a variety of connections.
I believe that undertaking environmental education with the cooperation of companies is a project that can be expected to raise children’s motivation to learn, and elevate their awareness of environmental issues. I hope that it will be developed further, and become the next-generation environmental education support model.
■关于组建「环境之都 Adopt・养子生态学校」
德岛县危机管理环境部门环境首都科 槌谷幸司
所谓「环境之都 Adopt・养子生态学校」、指将整治清扫道路和河流的(领养结缘)模式、应用到学校的环保学习活动中、以「由当地企业支持当地人力资源开发」为理念、由事业者・民间组织成为「养父母」、来支持「养子」学校的环保学习活动的制度、由德岛县平成19年度创设。基于这一制度、为了带头走在被称为环保世纪的21世纪的最前列、实现「环境之都德岛」的理想、培养具备高度环保意识及主动行动观念的人材、大塚集团(大塚制药株式会社、大塚化学株式会社、大鹏制药株式会社)和NPO法人环境首都德岛创造中心、每年与学校签订领养结缘协议、以支持县内环保活动。从令和元年度到3年度的3年中、德岛市加茂名南小学作为「养子」学校参与着这一合作实践活动。
令和元年度的加茂名南小学的主要活动内容如下。
1)作为加茂名南小学5年级综合学习时间学习课程的一部分、实施了我们的活动计划。
2)我们聆听了环境学习外包课程、美化袋井用水之会以及德岛市环保科的工作人员等活跃在第一线的有识之士的心声和经验。
3)通过参观大塚制药株式会社德岛板野工厂、以了解企业是怎样致力于与环境和谐相处所做的工作、为保护动植物生态平衡所付出的努力、并且把从企业所学的活用于自己学校的生物生态保全之中。
4)在校内人权会议和环保学习论坛上、向新老各代人士广泛地把这一年来的学习和努力做了报告和宣传。
关于学习课程安排和学习计划、学校将提出一个草案、并在联席会议上与大塚三家公司及NPO非营利组织共同起草总方案。关于学习所需的费用、由大塚三家公司及NPO非营利组织共同提供、以积极致力于减轻学校负担、支持儿童的学习。
这一制度,使签署协议的团体各方同志因积极参与环保活动而起到相辅相成的作用。作为学校通过直接面向企业学习、能接触到跨越学校框架的东西、有利于促进更深层次的环境学习。另一方面、作为企业不仅宣传了自己公司、同时也了解了学校的实际情况、为学校提出最佳支援方案、促进未来的自己企业活动都是有益处的。而作为NPO法人以及德岛县、面向广泛团体和世代、不仅起到启发大家的环境意识的作用、还同时建立了广泛关系、都有益于打造德岛的环境之都的形象。
我们有理由相信、学校与公司合作致力于环境学习、是提高儿童学习意愿和提高环保意识的最佳途径。我们希望该事业能够进一步深化、能够成为下一代环保学习的支援典范模式。