International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education

Vol. 18, No. 3, August 2009, 211–226

Efforts to empower teachers in Ethiopia to address local

environmental problems: achievements and limitations
Aklilu Dalelo∗

Department of Geography and Environmental Education, Addis Ababa University,

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

It is believed that the possibilities of integrating environmental issues into the formal
and nonformal education programs depend on the capacity of teachers who put such
programs into effect. A pilot project, aimed at building the capacity of schools in Ethiopia
to address key environmental issues, was initiated in 2004. Among the major strategies
to achieve the goal of the project was empowering teachers to solve local environmental
problems. This paper reports the achievements and limitations of the project in relation
to teachers’ empowerment. The results indicate that teachers who took part in the in-
service training on natural resource management have taken distinct steps to integrate
environmental issues into their lessons, establish environmental clubs and start school
nurseries. The study also indicated some limitations. The handbook prepared for the
training purpose had little provisions to guide the practical application of some of the
principles of natural resource management discussed therein. The other limitation was
the insufficient effort made to build (directly) the capacity of environmental clubs and
community leaders. Some recommendations have been put forward in view of these
findings.
Keywords: clubs; environment; handbook; nurseries; teachers; training

Introduction
Environmental resources are rightly considered as the foundations for social and economic
development (MoFED, 2006). There is, however, a growing concern that such resources are
deteriorating globally both in terms of quality and quantity (Andersson, Folke, & Nyström,
2006; Clapp & Dauvergne, 2005; Berhe, 1992). Berhe (1992, p. 6) argues, for instance,
that over the past three to four decades, “there have been sufficient grounds for public
alarm about the state and fate of our only planet – the Earth”. It has also been emphatically
underlined that degradation and depletion of environmental resources has already become
a global challenge, threatening the very survival of people in many countries of the world,
both developing and developed (Gore, 2006).
The state of the natural environment in Ethiopia is even worse than the global situation.
With regard to the situation in Ethiopia, the country’s prime minister emphasized, in his
message on the occasion organized to observe the World Environment Day and UNCED, that
the “shock administered by the uncompromising reality of recurring droughts and famine
of the mid 80s due to internal strife, environmental degradation and resource depletion

∗
Email: akliludw@yahoo.com

ISSN: 1038-2046 print / 1747-7611 online

C 2009 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/10382040903054065
http://www.informaworld.com
212 A. Dalelo

. . . continues to haunt us to date as we yet face a glaring and tragic danger of suffering and
hardships” (Zenawi, 1992, pp. 2–3).
Among the factors contributing to the shock in Ethiopia are, according to the prime
minister, misguided social and economic policies, top-down approach to development and
general lack of awareness of the complex interrelationship between environment and de-
velopment. Such a clear recognition of the magnitude and severity of environmental degra-
dation in Ethiopia appears to have necessitated addressing environmental concerns while
drafting national social and development policies (EPA, 1997; MoFED, 2006; TGE, 1994).
The official documents underline that poverty eradication is the overarching development
objective of the present Government of Ethiopia (MoFED, 2006, p. 1). The policy document
entitled “Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty” (PASDEP) is
now considered as a national plan for guiding all development activities over the years
ranging from 2005/06 to 2009/10.
The PASDEP describes, among other things, the main sectorial polices, strategies
and programs, and those related to crosscutting issues (such as population, gender, the
environment, governance and capacity-building). The section related to the environment
declares that an environmentally sound development vision of Ethiopia is to “create a
self reliant Ethiopian population with a high quality of life in a productive environment,
which assures equity between genders and among generations” (MoFED, 2006, pp. 189–
190). The strategic goals set to realize this so-called “environmentally sound development
vision” include the following:

r Ensuring community-led environmental protection and the sustainable use of envi-

ronmental resources for gender equity and improved livelihood.
r Rehabilitating affected ecosystems.
r Enhancing capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services, particularly biomass
for food, feed and household energy.
r Removing the adverse impacts of municipal waste.
r Preventing environmental pollution.
r Proactively ensuring the integration of environmental and ethical dictates, especially
mainstreaming the gender equity in development.

In view of this study, two issues can be underlined from the review of the policy docu-
ments. First, there is an official recognition in Ethiopia that lack of awareness of the complex
inter-relationship between environment and development is one of the factors contribut-
ing to what has been presented by the country’s prime minister as a shock administered
by recurring droughts and famine. Second, improving environmental knowledge through
awareness-raising programs has been considered as one of the key strategies to achieve the
goals of poverty reduction and economic growth. It is thus to be seen that a great deal of
trust has been put in Ethiopia on education as a tool for poverty reduction and economic
growth. To what extent can education in the country live up to this expectation?

Education as a tool for transformation: hopes and frustrations

Hopes and expectations
Following the establishment of independent states in Africa, i.e. 1960s onwards, there
prevailed a widespread hope that formal education would help to bring about socio-
economic transformation in general and solve such problems as poverty and environmental
 International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 213

degradation in particular. President Nyerere of Tanzania was, for instance, reported to have
said that education in his county had to “inculcate a sense of commitment to the total
community and help the pupils to accept the values appropriate to” his country’s future
(Saunders, 1969, p. 15).
The role education could play in achieving the goals of a sustainable future has been
re-emphasized following the Rio Conference. Fien (2006, p. 123) notes that the “new
vision of education for sustainable future places education at the heart of the quest to
solve the problems threatening our future”. Education is seen not only as an end itself
but also hoped to serve as one of the most powerful instruments for bringing about the
changes required to achieve sustainable development. According to UNEP, environmental
education has a pivotal role to play in building a supportive social context for sustainable
development and in empowering citizens to encourage business and policymakers to hasten
the transition to sustainability. It has thus been strongly argued that “without such education,
even the most enlightened legislation, cleanest technology, and most sophisticated research
will not achieve the long term goals of sustainable development” (UNEP, 2004, p. xii).
Similarly, Gagliardi and Alfthan (1994) stress that an informed public is the best guarantor
of environmentally sustainable policies. Fien (1995, p. 23) also observes that there is an
international agreement that “education has an important role to play in motivating and
empowering people to participate in environmental improvement and protection”.

Unfulfilled hopes and frustrations

Today, after several decades, many of the countries of the Third World seem to have learnt
the bitter fact that education, as conducted in these countries, is in a position neither to
inculcate a sense of commitment as hoped by President Nyerere nor to enable people to
solve local problems. One of the strongest criticisms to schools in developing countries
came from UNESCO (1980a). Schools in these countries were presented as dispensers of
bookish knowledge, contributing nothing to prepare young people for the real world, and
thereby accelerating the drift of the youth to the towns where they find nothing but unem-
ployment, slums and delinquency. The Ethiopian government seems to openly acknowledge
the prevalence of such problems in the country (TGE, 1994, p. 3): “To date, it is known that
our country’s education is entangled with complex problems of relevance, quality, accept-
ability and equity. The objectives of education do not take cognizance of the society’s needs
and do not adequately indicate future direction”. Another more recent study takes this point
further and concludes that the education system in Ethiopia remained the “least performing
in Africa in terms of key indicators – access, quality, and relevance” (Teshome, 2008,
p. 48).

The bottlenecks
Saunders (1969) observed decades ago that one could conceptualize the development of
an educational system in Africa (that could play its proper role in national development)
within the major constraints imposed by the African scene. He also listed out six such con-
straints or bottlenecks of “development-oriented” education in Africa: too many children,
too little money, too few qualified and dedicated teachers, lack of facilities, shortage of
appropriate textbooks and teaching materials and the gulf that exists between the school
and its community. It is disappointing to learn that all these constraints or bottlenecks are
still posing a formidable threat to the relevance of education in Africa.
214 A. Dalelo

People were trying to explain (Negash, 1990; TGE, 1994) the performance of the
Ethiopian educational system against the constraints or bottlenecks identified by Saunders
some 40 years ago. The Ethiopian government attributes, for instance, the irrelevance of
the country’s education to the lack of interrelated contents and mode of presentation that
can enrich problem-solving ability and attitude. Negash (1990, 2006) also puts the blame
on the inappropriate teaching–learning process characterized, among others, by too many
students in a classroom and poor command of the English language. He concludes that “it
is very hard to say that Ethiopia has a functioning secondary education system” (Negash,
1990, p. 48). This paper reports the result of efforts to address some of the bottlenecks that
undermined the relevance and practical contributions of education. Focus has been put on
empowering teachers and alleviation of shortage of teaching materials.

The need for qualified and dedicated teachers

Shortage of qualified and dedicated teachers was one of the factors identified by Saunders
(1969) as having a negative impact on the potential contribution of education in Africa for
accelerated socio-economic transformation. The need for qualified and dedicated teachers
could also be related to the age-old notion of the teacher acting as a change agent (Watson,
1983). There is a long-standing tendency to view the primary school teacher as “. . . the
ideal person who has both the respect of the village elders, the community leaders and the
pupils, as well as the trust of the government”. According to Coombs and Ahmed (1974;
quoted in Watson, 1983, p. 48), “rural primary teachers . . . could act as analysts and leaders
of opinion in the rural scene and help in the articulation of village needs. And, finally, they
could lead in bringing constructive change to the primary schools themselves.” Teachers are
also believed to have the power to “ultimately determine the direction and pace of curricular
change” (Oi, 1994, p. 1).
In recent years, the role teachers play in environmental protection and natural resource
management is getting due emphasis (Fien, 2006; UNESCO and the Government of Greece,
1997; WCED, 1987). The community of educators, including teachers and administrators,
is believed to be a means for bringing the struggle for sustainable development into commu-
nities and local institutions around the world (UNESCO and the Government of Greece).
Teachers, in particular, are considered as key agents “for bringing about the changes in
lifestyles and systems we need” (Fien, 2006, p. 124). Similarly, the world’s teachers are
believed to have “a crucial role to play in bringing the message of the World Commission
on Environment and Development (WCED) to the youth” (WCED, 1987, p. xiv).

Factors affecting teachers’ effectiveness

At this juncture, it is important to point out that teachers can effectively play their roles
described above only if they have, among others, a curriculum which integrates environ-
mental issues, and the knowledge and skills required to deal with such issues. Previous
studies conducted in Ethiopia indicate mixed results (Dalelo, 1998, 2006; Gebrekidan,
2006; Girma, 1994; Gizaw, Lawal, & Abbas, 2006; Tegegne, 2006). The results seem to
be positive when it comes to the integration of environmental issues. An assessment of
textbooks for upper primary schools (grades 5–8) in Southern Nations, Nationalities and
Peoples Region indicates, for instance, that most of the environmental problems identified
as crucial in that Region have already been included in the content of students’ textbooks
(Dalelo, 2006).
 International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 215

The study by Gebrekidan (2006) also shows that issues related to population and
environment are well recognized and fairly addressed in the curriculum for senior secondary
schools (grades 9–12). Similarly, Gizaw et al. (2006) found out that environmental issues
have been incorporated into the curriculum guides for all the seven subjects examined, while
population issues have been incorporated into the curriculum guides for English, Biology
and Basic Integrated Science. All the studies also indicated some gaps in curriculum design
and teacher preparation. The study by Dalelo (2006) shows, for instance, that the way in
which the issues were presented and the depth of arguments were unsatisfactory. Shortage
of appropriate teaching materials and teachers’ guides had been identified by Gebrekidan.
With regard to teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes about issues related to environ-
mental protection and natural resource management, the findings seem to be negative.
According to Girma (1994, p. 103), nearly half of the trainees in the Teachers’ Training
Institutes of Ethiopia, who took part in a study primarily aimed at integration of environ-
mental education into social studies course, had no mastery of environmental knowledge.
Gebrekidan (2006) also reported that there was a severe shortage of teachers with ade-
quate training on issues related to population and environment. Another study (Dalelo,
1998) found out a divided view (between favorable and unfavorable) regarding the use
and protection of natural resources in Ethiopia. A noticeable gap was observed between
what educators in Ethiopia thought and what was being advocated by the proponents of
the philosophy of sustainability. It was therefore recommended that efforts be made to
empower Ethiopian teachers to address issues related to environment and development by
using different strategies (Dalelo, 1998). Such efforts have now been made by a number of
nongovernmental organizations in the country. This study reports the experiences of one of
such organizations operating in south central Ethiopia.

Purpose of the study and research questions

Along with the growing understanding about the crucial role (in “sustaining the future”)
of education in general and teachers in particular, noticeable efforts are underway “to help
teachers worldwide not only to understand sustainable development concepts and issues
but also to learn how to cope with interdisciplinary, value-laden subjects in established
curricula” (Fien, 2006, p. 123). The pilot project initiated and implemented by the Capacity
Building and Community Empowerment Program of the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church
could be taken as a good example of such efforts being made in Ethiopia. The project
started in 2004 and came to an end in 2007. It was implemented in south central Ethiopia
with a financial and some technical support from Serving in Mission (SIM)/Canada and
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
The aim of the pilot project was to build the capacity of primary schools to address key
environmental issues in one of the most environmentally degraded provinces in Ethiopia.
Among the major strategies to achieve the goals of the project was preparation of a com-
prehensive handbook on environmental protection and natural resource management, and
undertaking an in-service teachers’ training on issues pertaining to protection and proper
use of environmental resources. This study reports the achievements and limitations of the
pilot project, related specifically to efforts to empower primary school teachers to solve
local environmental problems. The following were some of the major activities meant to
achieve the aim of the “entire” project.

(1) Assessing the current state of the biophysical environment and identifying key
environmental problems at village level.
216 A. Dalelo

(2) Providing in-service training for teachers on environmental protection and man-
agement of natural resources.
(3) Integrating issues related to environmental protection and management of natural
resources into the daily lessons.
(4) Establishing environmental clubs in schools.
(5) Establishing centers for development and dissemination of alternative energy tech-
nologies.
(6) Establishing school nurseries.

This study investigates the extent to which the second, third, fourth and sixth activities
have been achieved and the limitations associated therewith. The paper addresses three
specific research questions:

r To what extent did the handbook and in-service training help teachers to integrate
environmental issues into daily lesson plans?
r To what extent did the teachers manage to establish environmental clubs in the project
schools?
r To what extent could teachers and environmental club members mange to establish
and use school nurseries to encourage the practice of reforestation in the communities
surrounding schools?

Research design and methodology

The pilot project, on which this study was based, started in 2004 and came to its end in 2007.
A field visit was made to each of the project schools so as to observe developments on the
ground. The relative location of the study is shown in Figure 1. The schools were identified
at the outset of the project based, among others, on the survey of the state of the environment
of the respective districts or Weredas1 (all the selected schools are located in villages that are
seriously affected by environmental degradation). Accordingly, 11 out of the 104 (10.6%)
upper primary schools had been selected by Wereda Education, Capacity Building, and
Agriculture and Rural Development Offices. The specific criteria used for the selection
included the magnitude and seriousness of environmental problems, accessibility, capacity
of school administration and centrality and proximity to lower primary schools. The project
team had then visited each of the selected sites and tried to cross-check whether the selected
schools really met the criteria. This had been done by observation and interviews with the
community, school directors and teachers.
In an effort to empower the teachers and school administrators of the selected schools,
a five-day in-service training had been given to teachers, directors and supervisors. The
training was based on the handbook referred to earlier. A total of 115 educationists (97
teachers, 11 directors and 7 school supervisors) attended the training. At the end of the
training, participants prepared an action plan to, among others, mobilize the surrounding
community to protect the environment, integrate environmental issues into daily lessons,
start or strengthen environmental clubs and establish school nurseries. This study tries to
assess the extent to which each of these plans has been put into practice.
Information has been gathered by the author assisted by one of the project staff. Two
methods have been used to gather information: focus group discussion and observation
of the activities of the environmental education clubs and school nurseries. A total of 73
people (Table 1) participated in the focus group discussions that took, on an average, three
 International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 217

Figure 1. Relative location of Ethiopia in East Africa (upper-left), location of the study area in
central Ethiopia (up-right) and larger scale map of the study districts.

hours in one center. The participants represent different segments of the community (school
directors, teachers, training and education board members, parent–teacher association
(PTA) members and others like agriculture and health extension workers). The groups
are believed to have deep knowledge and wide-ranging experience about the issues under
investigation.
The pilot project has also been evaluated by an international consultant (Paterson,
2008) assigned by SIM Canada (after we completed gathering information for this study).
218 A. Dalelo

Table 1. Participants of focus group discussions.

Number of participants

Name of the Directors/Deputy Board PTA

Kebele/village directors Teachers members members Others Total

Durgie 2 3 3 0 0 8
Mandoye 1 2 2 1 0 6
Zogoba 2 5 1 0 0 8
Adancho 2 4 4 0 2a 12
Hobicheka 1 7 1 0 0 9
Kerekicho 2 0 1 1 0 4
Sheshera 2 1 2 1 0 6
Holegeba Zato 1 2 1 1 0 5
Gerema 1 3 1 1 0 6
Mekalla 1 2 1 1 0 5
Besheno 1 2 0 1 0 4
Total 16 31 17 7 2 73
a Agriculture and health extension workers.

The evaluation report has been secured from the SIM Canada office and is used as a com-
plementary source of information on the achievements and limitations of the pilot project.

Results
Integration of environmental issues
Environmentally sound attitudes must be supported by an understanding of environmen-
tal issues and a command of the methods and tools needed to manage the environment
(Gagliardi & Alfthan, 1994). Without such knowledge and mastery, the causes of envi-
ronmental degradation cannot be understood nor can positive action be put into effect. In
view of this, the preparation of the handbook, meant to complement the students’ textbooks,
seems to be highly justified. The handbook was written by scholars with the appropriate aca-
demic background and practical experience (from Addis Ababa University, Awassa College
of Teacher Education, Ethiopian Electric Agency and Ethiopian Mapping Authority).
The existing syllabi for the upper primary schools have been thoroughly assessed prior
to the preparation of the handbook. The handbook also hoped to bridge the identified
gaps and enable teachers to have a holistic perspective on environmental issues. It has
five modules covering local, national and global environmental issues. The topics of the
modules are indicated below:

r Module One: Energy and Environment

r Module Two: Population Growth vis-à-vis Use and Management of Natural Resources
r Module Three: Environmental Health and Personal Hygiene
r Module Four: Natural Resource Base of Ethiopia
r Module Five: Natural Resource Base of Kembata-Tembaro Zone and Alaba Special
Wereda

Both teachers and directors of the respective schools substantiated that the handbook
had been used with a high degree of enthusiasm. Teachers felt that the handbook was
comprehensive enough to accommodate the diverse interests of the different subject areas.
 International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 219

The level of difficulty of the handbook was also considered to be appropriate and the
language was rated as understandable (only one teacher in Mekalla School complained
that some sections were difficult when dealt with individually). The pictures included in
the handbook, which depicted diverse aspects of the region, were particularly appreciated
by the users. The teachers said they felt more confident to teach issues related to energy
and environmental management as the handbook provided them not only with detailed
explanations but also examples which were not available in the textbooks prepared by the
Bureau of Education.
A teacher at Besheno School commented that the handbook helped them to have a
more holistic view about the environment, which they were not able to develop during their
college education. The fifth module, which treated the natural resource base of the districts
where these schools are located, was found to be particularly interesting to teach and easy to
apply. Teachers were surprised to read stories about their own localities, which was not the
case in the centrally prepared textbooks. A teacher at Hobicheka School commented that the
handbook helped him to focus on the environmental issues affecting life and development
in his own village. He said he started to develop keen interest in planting species which
were at the verge of extinction, and in ways as to how to rescue them before it gets too
late. This was not normally the case: education is not often considered as a tool to solve
the day-to-day problems in the immediate environment. The SIM Canada final evaluation
report also considers the handbook as “an excellent teacher’s reference guide” (Paterson,
2008, p. 29).
There were, however, some limitations observed in relation to the content and use of
the handbook. The evaluation report referred to above also indicates that the handbook
“provided relevant information at the local community level but little practical information
as to what teachers and students could do to address these issues” (Paterson, 2008, p. 29).
The other challenge has to do with the high turnover of teachers who got the training (partly
because of the unfavorable environment). In Sheshera School, for instance, only one out of
the 11 trained teachers was still working in the school! All other moved to different schools
in the nearby districts. In Hobicheka as well most of the teachers had been transferred.
The positive aspect of the challenge was that teachers who got transferred after the training
continued using the information they gained and some even established environmental
protection clubs in the new schools which were not part of the pilot project. Based on such
experiences related to the use of the handbook, the project schools strongly recommended
that the handbook be disseminated to all the primary schools in the five districts. It was
also suggested that key natural resources (e.g. Sinbita, Fulame, Shuppa and Lamo Forests),
which were not covered in the handbook, be included during future revisions.

Establishment of environmental clubs

The Ethiopian Government’s Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to
End Poverty (PASDEP) duly recognizes the role of environmental clubs in creating
environmental awareness. The document emphasizes that environmental awareness raising
“will be directed at students through environmental clubs and at the public through the
mass media and publication produced for the purpose” (MoFED, 2006, p. 91). One of the
major achievements of the pilot project is establishment or strengthening of environmental
clubs in all the 11 schools. Table 2 indicates that eight out of the 11 clubs (72.7%) have
been newly established following the in-service training program.
In all the schools, club members included both teachers and students. In Besheno
School, the entire school population has been taken as club members. In all other cases,
220 A. Dalelo

interested teachers and students joined the club. The clubs also contain both male and
female students, though the proportion of the former is higher in all cases. In three schools,
namely, Hobicheka, Sheshera and Durgie, the clubs have 40% or more female members,
while the Mandoye School has the smallest representation of females in environmental
clubs.
There are indicators that the project managed to bring about positive changes in the
attitude of club members. One evidence for this could be the practical action taken to
rehabilitate degraded environments within and around school compounds. Following their
establishment/revitalization, most of the clubs prepared their annual plans of action and
started operation accordingly. For instance, the Adancho School environmental protection
club prepared a plan of action which has been reproduced here with the permission of Mr
Tagesse Sedoro, Club Chairman and Deputy Director of the school (Box 1).

Box 1: Action plan prepared by Adancho School Environmental Club

Step One Teaching the club members as well as students and local
communities twice a month.
Step Two Preparation of tree planting sites in and around the school
compound, and encouraging the local community to do
the same.
Step Three Sowing seeds and planting different species of trees like
shade trees, fruit trees, sugar cane, coffee, inset, etc.
Step Four Keeping the sanitation of the school compound and
protecting and preserving plants which have been planted
earlier.
Step Five Making efforts to create awareness as to the impact of
population growth on the environment, and trying to bring
about behavioral change among the students and
community members.
Step Six Planting trees on community lands together with
agricultural extension workers.

The actual activities performed by the club members in their first year of opera-
tion included cleaning school compounds, preparing seed beds, demonstrating alterna-
tive energy technologies to the surrounding communities, preparing sites for tree planting
and planting trees in and outside school compounds. The clubs mobilized the school
communities and planted thousands of trees of different species within their school
compounds and/or degraded and abandoned farm and/or grazing lands around their
schools. In Zogoba School, for instance, the school club acquired a degraded land lo-
cated between three peasant associations (villages) and closed the area to plant trees
and eventually use the site for demonstration. In July 2007, they managed to plant 2000
indigenous trees in their compound alone. A similar action has been taken in Sheshera
School. Information related to environmental protection has been prepared by the clubs
and disseminated during the breaks using the mini-media (powered by the solar panel
supplied by the pilot project). They have planted 2283 trees in the nearby degraded
mountain side, and handed over the responsibility of protecting the plantation to the village
(Peasant Association) administration as the school was about to be closed for summer
vacation.
 International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 221

Table 2. Schools environmental clubs establishment and membership.

Club establishment and membership
No. of students
Time of establishment
Name of the No. of % of female
Kebele/village teachers Male Female Total students Time Remark
Durgie All 24 16 40 40.0 End of 2006 Started after the
training
Mandoye 3 45 10 55 18.2 End of 2006 Started after the
training
Zogoba 3 24 11 35 31.4 End of 2006 Started after the
training
Adancho 2 17 5 22 22.7 End of 2006 Started after the
training
Hobicheka 15 55 45 100 45.0 End of 2006 Started after the
training
Kerekicho 1 10 5 15 33.3 End of 2006 Started after the
training
Sheshera 3 23 18 41 43.9 End of 2006 Started after the
training
Holegeba Zato 7 67 33 100 33.0 Existed for Strengthened after the
years training
Gerema 13 80 33 123 26.8 Existed as Renamed and
agriculture strengthened after
club the training
Mekalla All 69 23 92 25.0 Existed as Renamed and
environmental strengthened after
development the training
club
Besheno All All All End of 2006 Started after the
training

The Kerekicho School established the largest school nursery having 20 nursery beds,
where more than 63,000 seedlings of different species were prepared for planting. In the first
year alone, the school managed to plant 13,929 trees in the school compound and on private
holdings (by distributing seedlings to some model farmers and all students of the school).
Moreover, at the time of study, Kerekicho Primary School proved to be the cleanest and
most beautiful school. The compound looked not “an ordinary Ethiopian primary school”
but a well-managed garden. Indigenous tree species had been planted in an orderly manner
and kept well. Flowers were grown around offices and staff rooms. The plants had been
regularly watered and protected mainly by students.
The 11 schools participating in the pilot project came together at the end of the school
year (nine months after the in-service training) in order to review their progress and share
experiences. A participatory assessment of their performance had been conducted at the
end of the two-day follow-up workshop. Representatives of all the schools were asked to
put the schools (other than their own) in a rank order based on the report presented at the
workshop. Kerekicho Primary School stood first followed by Gerema and Besheno Schools.
The report presented by Gerema School shows that unusual and creative strategies have
been used to promote awareness about environmental issues (see Box 2).
222 A. Dalelo

Box 2. A creative school

There existed an agricultural club in Gerema School before the in-service
training. Following the training, this club got transformed to environmental
protection club. The latter had 13 teachers and 110 students as active members.
The club members started a renewed action by taking care of the 172 shade and
82 fruit trees planted earlier by the agriculture club. The second, and very
creative, action taken by the members was writing what they called “message
from the tree” on the stems of most of the shade trees in a manner which is
clearly readable and easily understandable to students and casual visitors. The
“messages” on the trees observed during the study included “rush not to cut but
plant”, “plant fruit trees” and other short phrases that indicated the
interrelationship between living and non-living things. There is no doubt that
anyone who passed by the trees would be forced to read those messages.
The club members also managed to prepare seed beds in the school compound
for different tree species. The other activity was rehabilitating a degraded and
abandoned land near the school. Terraces had been constructed and 400
micro-basins were already dug to plant trees that control soil erosion. The
chairman of the club gave five days continuous training to students of grades 5–8
on use and management of multipurpose trees. The participating students then
conducted discussions on the state of such trees in their villages and concluded
that the level of awareness about the functions of such trees was very low; the
number of shade and fruit trees in their villages was extremely low; and
indigenous shade trees had been almost completely replaced by exotic species.
Following the training and subsequent discussions, students took a practical
action to change the status quo: 1,228 fruit and shade trees had been planted by
the students on their parent’s holdings. This was confirmed by the members of
the club and participants of the focus group discussion.

The pilot project invested a lot on the training of teachers assuming that teachers
would train club members and others. No direct effort had been made by the project
to build the capacity of school clubs and community leaders. With respect to sustaining
the good work started by the environmental clubs, the participants of the focus group
discussion underscored the need for training of the members of the clubs and preparation
and dissemination of information brochures. It has also been suggested that inclusion of
members of the Training Board and Parent-Teacher Committees (PTCs) in the training
would enhance replication of some of the “best practices” in schools and communities
currently not covered by the pilot project.

Development of school nurseries

One of the aims of the pilot project was encouraging schools to start nurseries. As part of
the package, some farm tools and seeds of different species had been provided (Table 3). At
the time of the study, all the 11 schools started nurseries within their premises. A variety of
seedlings had also been sown. Most of the schools decided to plant indigenous tree species
which were disappearing in the area. Multipurpose trees (that bear fruits and are used as
shades) were selected by the environmental clubs. The offices of agriculture in the nearby
district capitals agreed to supply seeds that are not easily accessible to the schools. The
project office has distributed 66 kg of seeds to the 11 schools (Table 3).
 International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 223

Table 3. Seeds distributed by the project office.

S/N Types of seed Quantity (kg) Price/kg (Eth. Birr) Total (Eth. Birr)

1 Grevillea Robusta 6 450 2,700

2 Cordia Africana 11 90 990
3 Olea Africana 11 112.50 1,237.50
4 Podocarpus Ficatus 11 75 825
5 Melittia fruginea 11 60 660
6 Acacia Saligna 6 67.50 405
7 Prune Africana 10 112.50 1,125
Total 66 7,942.50

There is a plan to limit eucalyptus plantation to areas where it creates minimum damage
to the biological diversity. The advantages and disadvantages of eucalyptus plantation
seemed to be well recognized by the participants of the focus group discussion. They
strongly emphasized that seedlings of eucalyptus should only be planted in areas far away
from farmlands and in valleys and waterways as part of an effort to rehabilitate valleys
and control soil erosion. It is worth noting here that the establishment/revitalization of
environmental clubs has been inextricably related to development of school nurseries.
Almost all the existing school nurseries have been established following the in-service
training of teachers.
When the seeds distributed by the project are ready for planting, the schools plan to plant
some of the seedlings in their own compounds and on degraded lands allocated by the village
administration. To this end, micro-basins have been dug by students, mainly members of the
environmental clubs, in their school compounds. In some cases like Zogoba and Adancho,
agreements have already been reached between the schools and village administrations as
to where to plant the trees. Durgie School has a motto of “one student one tree.” This does
not mean that a student will be limited to only one tree. In fact, preparations are underway to
send seedlings to students’ villages and mobilize community to plant trees on their private
holdings. Education about the advantages of multipurpose trees and need for development
of nurseries at household level had been conducted during parent’s day (2007). In Zogoba
School alone, for instance, 532 parents took part in the awareness creation event.

Conclusion and recommendations

Education is believed to be one of the most effective tools to ensure proper use and
management of environmental resources. The training of teachers, as key role players in
the process of teaching and learning, must therefore be given due consideration. In line
with this, Fien (1995, p. 29) underscores that “the central role of the teacher in diffusion
of any innovation means that teacher education, at both the pre-service and in-service
levels, is vital”. UNESCO (1980b, p. 47) also argues that “the possibilities of integrating
environmental education into the formal and non-formal education programmes and the
implementation of such programmes depend essentially on the training of the personnel for
putting the programme into effect”. The present study attests to this fact. The in-service
training offered for teachers, school administrators and supervisors was found to be the
bedrock of achievements in the integration of environmental issues into the daily lesson
plans, establishment or revitalization of environmental clubs and development of school
nurseries.
224 A. Dalelo

The level of motivation on the part of both the teachers and students seemed to be
very high. In some of the schools like Holegeba Zato, Shehera, Besheno and Gerema (all
in the lowlands where there are not many trees left), creative strategies have been used
to plant and nurture trees. In Sheshera School, we saw seedlings (planted in the school
compound) assigned code numbers and the responsibility of taking care of them given to
specific students. This created a unique sense of ownership. In Besheno School, a student
“whose seedling” was stamped to death by cattle came to the school director and accused
the guards of not properly executing their duties. In Gerema School, students took the
initiative to collect water used for washing hands and feet (people in rural villages wash
their hands before meals and feet before bed) and reuse it to grow fruit trees in their home
yards. In Besheno and Sheshera Schools, some students brought dung from their homes to
fertilize the trees in the school compounds.
It was also learnt that, as a result of the new activities aimed at solving some of the
key environmental problems, schools gained increased respect in their communities. The
perceived importance of education has been rejuvenated through the activities of the project.
Community members, including school employees, have taken on their own initiatives in
line with the goals of the project. What is more, schools have contacted the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development in order to access additional seedlings. In the case of
one school, the director negotiated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
to extend a pipeline from a distant water cistern. All these were new developments as far as
the project schools were concerned. As to the suitability of the achievements, the evaluation
report by the SIM Canada notes that “the eleven schools that participated in the Ethiopian
environmental education pilot project likely have enough knowledge and equipment to
continue their activities without further support” (Paterson, 2008, p. 57).
The study also indicated some limitations. The handbook has little provisions to guide
the practical application of some of the principles of natural resource management dis-
cussed therein. The other major limitation is insufficient efforts made to build (directly) the
capacity of environmental clubs and community leaders. The following recommendations
are therefore made in view of the overall findings of the study.

r The collaboration between the schools, District Bureaus of Education and Agriculture
and Rural Development should be further strengthened so as to consolidate the
achievements of the project and ensure the sustainability of its outcomes.
r An in-service training on environmental protection and natural resource management
should be organized annually until all the teachers, club members and community
representatives take part in the training. This could be organized by the District
Bureau of Education. Moreover, sufficient copies of the handbook, other reference
books and information brochures on natural resource management should be made
available in each of the schools.
r Experience-sharing programs should be organized in order to replicate best prac-
tices. The outstanding performance demonstrated by 3 of the 11 schools (Kerekicho,
Gerema and Besheno) could, for instance, serve as an eye opener for other schools
in the project districts and beyond.
r Both national and international organizations trying to protect and rehabilitate
the degraded environment in Ethiopia should consider using schools as important
partners.
 International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 225

Acknowledgements
This paper reports part of a larger study on “Contributions of Non-governmental Organizations for
Improving Ecological Balance and Food Security in Ethiopia”. The larger study has been financed
mainly by Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED), Germany and Redt een Kind (ReK), Holland.
The author would like to extend his sincere thanks for their generous support.
The pilot project, on which the study is based, has been co-financed by two international organi-
zations, CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) and SIM (Serving in Mission)/Canada,
and implemented in collaboration with the Capacity Building and Community Empowerment Pro-
gram of the Ethiopia Kale Heywet Church and the Education Bureaus of Kembata-Tembaro Zone
and Alaba Leyu Wereda. The author would also like to acknowledge the contributions of all the
stakeholders and the project team members particularly Mr Erango Ersado and Mr Getachew Assefa.

Note
1. Kebele (peasant association) is the lowest level in the Ethiopian government structure. The other
levels are Wereda, Zone and Region in ascending order.

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