DOI
10.1080/00219266.2008.9656122

Summary
This study was conducted in San Juan Nuevo Parangaricutiro in Mexico, a small village with a historic indigenous community base. The village has been successfully implementing a government initiative called Community Forest Enterprise (CFE) programme which promotes sustainable management practices. The primary aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of 102 students at high school level (ages 15 – 18) for their interests environmental issues, prospects for employment in the sector and awareness towards forest management and how this feeds into the community systems. The secondary aim of this study was assess the literature of the current curriculum for its references to a range of environmental concepts. Before conducting this study, it was acknowledged that environmental practices were not reflected correctly in the educational curriculum at the high school.

The results were obtained from students through closed questionnaires and a review of the curriculum. The questionnaires assessed knowledge on basic and general environmental concepts as well local and regional environmental knowledge. The curriculum was assessed by reviewing all 25 compulsory textbooks for environmental concepts.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
It was found that previous research on Community Forest Enterprises CFE’s had paid little attention to the importance of schooling as a form of long-term employment within the community for high school students. Suggesting that this was a break down in the system.


In general, the results pointed towards a lack of environmental knowledge and prospects for employment as a result of inadequacies in the educational programme. In particular they found that students lacked understanding environmental processes in terms of “cause and effect”.

This may be a useful reference for similar community based studies

Point of Strength
This study highlights a lack of community or regional specific environmental schooling. In this case they are making reference to the lack of environmental and forestry education in line with the communities main industry - forestry. They cite UNESCO (Colclough, 2002) ‘decade of education for sustainability’ which calls for educational programmes to reflect local and regional community opportunities.

The authors make a point that UNESCO’s goal for environmental education should be made applicable to the students realities and opportunities for future employment and concludes that teachers and the curriculum should be realigned with this goal.