Resource use and management 73

This practice involves proper use and management of resources such as waste, water and energy in school. Two interviewees and the Eco-School committee added that the above mentioned materialise through projects and activities that take place inside and outside the classroom. The Eco-School committee (FC.1.1) and the document reviewed (D.1-ESP, 2012) talked about an environmental policy reinforced by a group of teachers for proper use of resources by students and other teachers. Outlined below are the statements:

 For energy conservation

All light and fans should be switched off when not using; Switch off air conditioning when not in use;

Keep door shut when air conditioning is running in a room; All electrical appliances should be switched off after use.

 For water conservation

Tap should be kept closed when not using;

Broken pipes should be reported immediately to the office for repair; Use rainwater to water plants and clean outside.

One interviewee said that "...whenever the students leave the classroom they switch off the fan and the same applies for the lights" (I.1.2). The same interviewee added that students

are also advised to make sure that the taps are closed properly to avoid continuous dripping of water.

Two interviewees commented that most teachers are also recycling as part of sustainable use and management of waste to reduce costs of new materials (I.1.1 & I.1.2). The resources produced out of the recycled materials are used by teachers to support teaching and learning. Three interviewees added that some students are bringing materials to the school for the teachers to use in class (I.1.1, I.1.3 & I.1.4). The PTA chairperson (I.1.4) said that as a result students learn the importance of managing waste and using eco- friendly materials, "I [PTA Chairperson] mean students participate and bring resources to school, and the teacher can have the opportunity just to explain what is meant by recycling, what can be recycled, what cannot". Two interviewees and one member of the Eco-School committee stated that students learn how to make use of the recycled materials to produce artefacts by observing and listening to the teacher (I.1.1, I.1.3 & FC.1.1). Students learn that not all materials should be treated as waste and interact with the teacher to produce something new out of the materials (FC.1.1). For example, in the lesson for the subject of Technology Enterprise, students produce flower pots, pencil holders and mats from recycled materials (Photograph 4.12).

There is a group of students who are members of environmental clubs meeting once a week after school hours for Extra Curricular Activities (ECA). The students engage in practical activities that promote environmental learning such as recycling materials facilitated by the teacher (I.1.2 & FC.1.1) (Photograph 4.13). One teacher from the Eco- School committee elaborated:

... if we are talking about recycling we got a special group for the ECA that I am in charge. We use anything, let's say papers from the office or paper that we have used in the classroom, we just recycle this to do other things like animals, fruits and vegetables and with plastic bottles we make lampshades, little things for candle holders... moreover ice cake sticks-we use to make pencil holders and all of these-they are aware of how to use these things (FC.1.1).

Apart from management of waste, teachers also promote proper management of water. Interviewee 1, who is a teacher, shared her experience of working with a group of students

to produce posters on how to make good use of water which was later displayed on school walls (I.1.1). "Moreover, how to use water properly, it can be water from rivers, rain water, how can we use water in the kitchen after washing their plates instead of throwing away water-they can use it to water plants" said another teacher based on her experience of facilitating a lesson on water (I.1.2). The school has also embarked on a rainwater harvesting project funded by the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Two interviewees stated that some of the materials are already there but have not yet been assembled to start collecting rainwater (I.1.1 & I.1.2).

Some students are also seen as role models in the use and management of resources. Two interviewees (I.1.1 & I.1.2) and one member of the Eco-School committee (FC.1.1) mentioned that the students encourage peers to make good use of resources such as water facilities to conserve water and switching off the lights and fans to conserve energy. Another member of the Eco-School committee made a comment that the students are also moving with this knowledge and habit within their home contexts:

And when you meet parents or even they call at school and say you know my child is giving me a headache with the electricity bill or with the water. Things like that. These are knowledge that they have acquired at school and they tend to pass this on at home and the parents has no other choice but to do what the children are saying

(FC.1.1).

All research participants stressed the importance of values such as respect and responsibility for the physical surrounds of the school (such as the infrastructure and habitat) and the environment outside the school (I.1.1, I.1.2, I.1.3, I.1.4, FC.1.1, FC.1.2 & QU.1.1). Interviewee two and the students from the focus group spoke about the students being given the opportunity to reflect on the risks of some unwanted objects in the environment such as plastic bottles and learn how to make use of them to create new things. One teacher from the Eco-School committee explains:

For example, the same thing apply to the jars, we've got jars-what will happen if we all throw away the empty jars everywhere ... what will be the disadvantage of having jars everywhere that are broken or even though it's not broken in our environment,

what will become of the environment with all jars and plastic bottles and all these and then from that we use these things to create new things (FC.1.1).