KAZALCI OKOLJA

Key message
Good

In Slovenia, the number of educational institutions participating in the Eco-Schools program is constantly growing. In the school year 2022/23, a total of 732 institutions were involved in the program, which represents nearly 38% of all schools and kindergartens in Slovenia. Through environmental projects, over 130,000 Slovenian children and students, as well as 8,500 educators and teachers, were included in the environmental education system. At the international level, by the end of the 2022/23 school year, more than 50,000 institutions were involved in the Eco-Schools program, with over 17,000 of them also receiving the Green Flag award. According to the latest data, globally, the program involved over 21 million children and over 1.2 million mentors, thereby engaging more than 7,000 local communities in the environmental education system.


This indicator shows the number of institutions participating in the Eco-Schools Programme in Slovenia in the period of school years from 1995/96 to 2022/23 and the percentage of institutions participating in the Eco-Schools Programme.

The International Foundation founds the international Eco-Schools Programme for Environmental Education. In Slovenia the DOVES Society – FEE Slovenia runs the programme since 1996.

The Eco-Schools Programme is the largest network of children, kindergarten teachers and school teachers who transfer and integrate sustainable development principles into everyday learning and life. The Programme fosters systematic environmental education and awareness among youth, particularly regarding the importance of environmental protection and human health. Work in the Programme follows the Seven Steps methodology, which are as follows: form an eco-committee, carry out an environmental review, develop an action plan, monitor and evaluate, implement curriculum work, inform and involve others and produce an eco-code. (Guidelines of education for sustainable development from pre-school to university level, 2010)

When an institution carries out activities and follows the seven-step methodology, it is internationally recognized and rewarded with an environmental Green Flag Award as a certificate of meeting the criteria of the international Eco-Schools Programme. The European Commission and the United Nations Organisation support the Programme of the eco-schools. In Slovenia, environmental education goals are part of the national environmental education curriculum.


Charts

Figure OP03-1: Eco-schools in Slovenia, 1996-2021
Sources:

Doves Society, 2022; SI-STAT, Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, 2019

Show data
registered Eco-Schools[number] awarded Eco-Schools[number ] schools total[number ]
1995/96 2 0 2
1996/97 37 0 37
1997/98 47 17 47
1998/99 54 33 54
1999/00 59 43 59
2000/01 78 56 78
2001/02 105 79 105
2002/03 170 127 170
2003/04 206 159 206
2004/05 209 175 209
2005/06 263 199 263
2006/07 307 238 307
2007/08 383 284 383
2008/09 535 380 535
2009/10 628 423 628
2010/11 690 560 690
2011/12 705 560 705
2012/13 712 644 712
2013/14 717 646 717
2014/15 710 645 710
2015/16 712 647 712
2016/17 715 651 715
2017/18 717 653 717
2018/19 722 658 722
2019/20 726 664 726
2020/21 722 660 722
2021/22 739 672 739
2022/23 732 665 732
Figure OP03-2: Share of eco-schools in total number of schools, Slovenia, school year 2021/22
Sources:

Doves Society, 2022; SI-STAT, Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia 2019, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport 2019

Show data
Eco-Schools[number] other schools[number] Eco-Schools[%] other schools[%]
2021/22 739 1191 37,95 62,05

Since 1995, when the Eco-Schools Programme began running in Slovenia, the number of participating schools has been has gradually increasing, but in recent years it has been stable.

In the school year 2022/23, 732 eco-schools were included in the Programme. Over the 25-year period, the Eco-Schools Programme made exceptional progress as the eco-schools network expanded throughout the territory of Slovenia and covered several educational age levels and institution types. Eco-schools represent 38% of all schools in Slovenia, which means that environmental education is becoming part of Slovenian children’s everyday life.

The holistic and systematic approach significantly contributes to the success and distribution of the Programme, which enables pre-school and school teachers to integrate the contents and activities into the everyday educational programme and adapt the activities to planned work. Globally, the success of the programme can also be attributed to partnership with FEE International and UNEP as a global environmental protection knowledge base, particularly in developing countries. It offers various practical solutions and incentives for environmental awareness both inside and outside of schools. The Eco-Schools Programme promotes the principles of democracy, openness and involvement of various stakeholders. Therefore, it also promotes a democratic citizenship culture, in addition to environmental education.

The international Eco-Schools Programme has become one of the most recognised and widespread environmental education programmes in almost all EU Member States and the network is expanding in other continents. Currently, 72 countries from all continents participate; in 2003, South Africa was the first country outside Europe to become a FEE member.

In most European countries, the Eco-Schools Programme is financed mostly or exclusively through budgetary funds provided by relevant ministries. In Slovenia, the Programme is financed through fees paid by participating institutions, sponsorship funds and, to a lesser extent, through funds provided by ministries responsible for education and the environment.

Slovenia has a special status within the international Eco-Schools Programme, as it is considered one of the most successful countries and is used as an example to others. In recent years, the topics proposed in the UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development have been included in eco-school activities in Slovenia in addition to regular environmental education (UNECE, 2005).


Methodology

Date of data source summarization
Other sources and literature