The three groups of schools in the municipality of Baião – Agrupamento de Escolas Vale de Ovil, Agrupamento de Escolas de Sudeste and Eiriz-Ancede, renewed the award of the “Eco-Schools” program.
This programme, which involves students from pre-school to secondary education, recognizes and rewards the work and good environmental practices developed in these establishments.
The flags were received in Baião this February and have already been delivered to the School Groups that, during the 2019/2020 school year, developed a set of environmental practices that made it possible to contribute to improving the quality of life at school and in the community.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony for the delivery of the Green Flag was carried out through the digital platforms of ABAE (Association Blue Flag of Europe), in the presence of representatives of the municipalities and School Groups involved.
“This recognition is, once again, the result of the excellent commitment and involvement of the entire school community in the municipality, about environmental education. It is also in this way that people are educated about the importance and need to respect the natural resources that are our heritage.”, says the vice-president of the municipality and responsible for the area of Education, José Pinho Silva.
It should be noted that the Municipality of Baião has been a partner institution of the Eco-Schools project since the 2006/2007 school year.
Eco Program – Schools
Eco – Schools is an International Program of the Foundation for Environmental Education, developed in Portugal since 1996 by ABAE and which aims to encourage actions and recognize the quality work developed by schools, within the scope of Environmental Education and/or Education for Sustainable Development.
To receive the Green Flag, the school must demonstrate that it has followed the methodology of the seven steps: Eco-Schools Council, Environmental Audit, Action Plan, Curriculum Work, Monitoring and Evaluation, Community Involvement and Eco-Code. In addition to having to complete at least two thirds of its action plan and carry out activities within the scope of the basic themes (water, waste, and energy) and at least one of the themes of the year.
