By Banele Magongo
MBABANE – Motshane and Ndlozini Primary Schools were yesterday awarded by the Ministry of Education and Training for their outstanding environmental education projects and initiatives.
This happened at Motshane Primary School during the Environmental Education and Awareness Day. Director of Education Lungelo Nhlengetfwa is the one who awarded the schools, on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Training.
As part of the award, each school will receive a monetary prize to help them implement further environmental education programs. The schools were overjoyed and expressed their gratitude to the Ministry and the other organisers of the event.
The environmental education and awareness day at Motshane Primary School was a great success, with students and teachers from various schools and institutions in attendance. Ministry of Education and Training Principal Secretary (PS) Bhekithemba Gama was represented by Nhlengetfwa at the event.
The event was organised by the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA), and featured a number of engaging and informative activities, including presentations, and discussions. The event was aimed at raising awareness about environmental issues and to encourage participants to take action to protect the environment.
The event was attended by schools in the Motshane inkhudla and institutions of higher learning such as the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), William Pitcher Training College, Eswatini Medical Christian University (EMCU) and Institute for Development Management (IDM).
Speaking during the event, Nhlengetfwa said powerful learning was happening outside of schools in the environment, community and internships. He told the attendants that he had an opportunity to see some of the projects at Motshane Primary School and they were the true epitome of what Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number 4 (Quality Education) stood for.
The projects implemented by the school provided learners of all ages with opportunities to acquire knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that were needed to build peaceful, healthy and sustainable societies as well as contribute to the SDGs were launching the National Green School Initiative pilot project, according to Nhlengetfwa.
Nhlengetfwa further said Eswatini was one of the two countries which had been selected by UNESCO to pilot a green school standard which would serve as a guideline for the implementation of the greening initiatives.
“Six Schools have been selected to participate in the pilot. Four of the schools which are high schools have been provided funding by Eswatini Environment Authority through the Eswatini Environment Fund. Two of the schools will receive funding from UNESCO,” said Nhlengetfwa.
