Theme 2: Barrier to management of EE projects in schools

All principals acknowledge the important role of EE projects in their schools. The categories that gave rise to this theme were as follows: barriers to managing EE projects, and the causes of barriers to managing EE projects in schools. These categories are discussed next.

Category: (i) Identifying barriers to managing EE projects in schools

The principals, educators, subject facilitators and IDSOs’ data collected from open- ended questionnaires indicated the importance of EE projects in schools as well as

For the sake of confidentiality, faces of participants are covered.

145 barriers to managing these projects. This category is captured by several responses from the participants illustrated as follows:

“There is lack knowledge and skills on how to manage EE projects and that is the reason we prefer to partner with non-governmental organisation for their expertise.” (Educators AE#5-12 & BE#1- 2)

The researcher’s opinion is that, even though the regulation emphasizes the need of EE in any school curriculum, teachers may not be able to offer applicable teaching activities due to their unfamiliarity of content knowledge and lack of teaching training related to environmental topics. It is assumed that teachers’ knowledge of, and values regarding the environment and its associated problems, may influence their teaching practices and their perceptions on students’ learning in EE (Ballantyne & Packer, 1996).

“We the coordinators of EE projects are not being compensated and that is discouraging us since other educators do not want to participate.” (Educators AE#8 &9) and (educators BE#2-&6)

The researcher’s observation indicated that, the attitude of educators towards environmental education projects is negative, that is also indicated by educators late coming to school which compromises breakfast in class. The negative attitude towards EE projects emanate as a results of lack of compensation towards EE project management. As a result educators do not find it worth spending time and putting effort on something that does not reward them financially.

“EE projects are time-consuming, since we have curriculum based subjects that we must complete at a set duration.” (Educator BE#5)

The researcher’s opinion is that, most of the educators seem not be aware of the integration of EE in their subjects. The statement above shows that EE is seen as additional subject that is not part of curriculum or which does not necessarily add value since it not one of the subject. Hence, educators pay more attention into the subject content that they are trained to teach and neglect the alien themes on environmental

146 education which are classified as time consuming. Tilbury et al. (2005:3) state the following as barriers to managing EE projects in Australian schools: EE is simply seen as an add-on or a cross-curricula theme, teaching and learning approaches do not cater for EE projects and EE remains a non-mandatory component of schools and still struggles for acceptance in mainstream curriculum in Australia.

According to Ernst (2009), environmental education related learning and perceived outcome may determine teachers’ decisions to implement EE project in schools. Environmental education teacher training should offer professional development opportunity to educators that allow to critically reflect on their own belief and knowledge regarding environmental issues and practice strategies to teach EE. In this way, educators will not view EE projects as time consuming, but another effective way of teaching certain concepts in their subjects. With proper professional development, educators will easily integrate EE in their disciplines, although this require appropriate pedagogy, (summers, 2005). The below utterances by IDSO#1 is a clear indication of the need for professional development on educators about the integration of EE in other subjects and value of EE projects in our schools.

“School principals and educators are unable to manage EE projects because they were never trained at college nor receive in-service training after being employed as professional educators.”(IDS# 1)

“There is lack of commitment by the teaching staff, learners and general assistants in participating in EE projects since are viewed as an extra work without a pay.” (Principals AP#12-13)

The above quotations from school principals, educators, subject facilitators and IDSOs substantiated the following conclusions. EE projects in general are not well managed in schools. Several factors contribute to this: lack of knowledge of project management; lack of managerial skills necessary to implement projects and individual problems experienced by school principals and educators respectively.

School principals and educators of primary and secondary schools agreed that they are experiencing barriers to managing EE projects in schools. School principals

147 indicated a lack of commitment by the teaching staff, learners and general assistants in participating in EE projects since is viewed as extra work without pay. Principals also stated that they have unskilled general assistants who are not trained in managing projects, such as vegetable gardening and as a result, they are compelled to pay an outsourced person. Moreover, principals pointed out that educators’ confidence and level of expertise impact negatively on EE projects. Educators do not have the knowledge and skills required to manage EE projects. On the other hand, educators also stated that EE is integrated into curriculum subjects that are demanding. They are committed to completing the subject syllabus and this left them with no room to devote to EE projects.

Systemic management emphasises the role of leadership by principals as essential, since principals can encourage practices and behaviour of educators in order to manage EE projects well with superior quality performance (Anderson et al., 1995; Flynn et al., 1995; Saraph et al., 1989).

Primary educators identified formidable barriers to managing some projects, such as keeping learners’ toilets clean. Most learners in the lower grades, such as grades R and 1, require training on proper use of the toilets. The researcher also observed that the inadequacy of the water supply in schools result in a very low standard of cleanliness in toilets and the surrounding school environment.

Category: (ii) Causes of barriers to manage EE projects in schools

Data collected from the principals, educators, subject facilitators and IDSOs identified causes of barriers to managing EE projects in schools. This is highlighted by the following statements:

“In order to manage EE projects the department should provide us with resources such as enough general assistance and allocate funds in our resource allocation specifically for EE project.” (Principals AP#1-7 & BP#1-4)

The issue of resources in managing environmental education projects in schools is of serious concern. Bartosh (2003:113-114), indicated that educators in America

148 indicated lack of funding and resources materials as barriers to managing EE projects in schools. According to King (2015:17) lack of funds, resource materials are identified as barriers to managing EE projects in South African schools.

“In most schools, there is no policy that acts as guideline in managing EE projects. School principals do not show that they have project management knowledge.” (IDS#2&5)

“Schools do not have systems in place that are in line with project management.” (SF#1&3)

“In some schools principals are unable to budget for EE projects and to even to plan the Project.” (SF#2)

“No assigned officials from the DoE to address EE projects with principals and educators.” (IDS# 3)

Caldwell (1992:16-17) states that managers of the schools must be able to develop and implement systems involving seven managerial functions, namely: goal setting needs identification, priority-setting, planning, budgeting, implementing and evaluating. Principals need knowledge and skills on how to compile a budget that will cater for EE projects even though the DoE does not allocate funds in the resource allocations.

Primary and secondary school principals highlighted the seriousness of lack of space around their schools. That is why vegetable gardens are established in empty tires (cf. figure 6.1.)

The SABS ISO 9004-2 (1991:16) acts as guideline to insure that all services, requirements and provisions incorporated in the quality system should be defined and documented as part of the service organisation’s overall agent. For effective total quality management of EE projects, school principals should define the type of resources required and document them for future reference.

149 “Hawkers who sell near school gates are not responsible for the litter, such as banana peels that are thrown all over the school premises and its surroundings.” (Educators AE# and BE#4)

Moreover, both in primary and secondary schools, principals and educators stated that hawkers selling their wares near schools formed part of the barrier to managing litter