Schools can define the character of a neighbourhood and are often a source of community pride. In some neighbourhoods, the greatest litter problems are found in the areas external but adjacent to school grounds. Glasgow Community and Safety Services, in partnership with Glasgow City Council and Local Community Planning Partnerships, have developed a “Learning Communities Charter”. Learning Communities are over-arching bodies comprising an area’s secondary, primary school and pre-5s establishments. This charter will be introduced in 2007 with the goal of implementing a city-wide clean up programme in all primary and secondary schools.
The impressive success of the Eco Schools programme in Glasgow gives it a key role to play in meeting the long term objectives of this strategy. Eco Schools is an international programme developed in 1994 by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Under the programme, schools are awarded a distinctive green flag in recognition of successfully promoting environmental awareness in the school’s curriculum subjects. There are three levels of flags, awarded in sequence for increasing achievement.