Teaching green
Tania de Basin’s mission to show primary students the link between responsibility and sustainability.
Tania de Basin has been teaching the children of Tāmaki-makau-rau for nearly 20 years. She believes that if we can understand the link between our ancestors, our actions and the world we leave for the future, then we can protect the natural environment.
With Kaumātua participating in the teaching process, and by allowing the natural world into the classroom, Tania inspires the next generation of leaders. Currently, there is not enough focus or support on environmental education, and for teachers like Tania, incorporating lessons on sustainability into the existing curriculum can feel like swimming upstream.
Through the Ministry of Education, the government plays a key role in providing resources to teachers and has the ability to promote the integration of environmental education into all other subjects.