Gibson congratulates Alness Academy on Secondary Highland First

News release
Immediate release

18/06/08

Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Rob Gibson has lodged a motion in parliament recognising the achievement of Alness Academy as being the first secondary school in the Highlands to receive the prestigious Green Flag Award from Eco Schools Scotland.

The school won the award for continuingly improving their environment by; reducing waste, litter as well as energy and water use, devising more efficient ways for students to travel to and from school, promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging active citizenship not just in school but also in the wider community.

Mr Gibson (a former guidance and modern studies teacher at the school) said….

"This is an excellent achievement for Alness Academy and a great deal of credit has to go to the students and staff involved in the initiative. This award marks Alness Academy out as real environmental leader in the Highlands. It has set the standard I would say it is up for the other secondary schools in the region to catch them up."

"In the era of climate change Environmental issues are all the more relevant so it is important that students as young as possible are made aware of the issues and are encouraged to come up with their own ideas to improve their environment also that they can improve the wider one. This is what is happening in Alness and is to be highly commended."

ENDS

Note:

Copy of motion

S3M-02199 Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish National Party): Green Flag for Alness Academy — That the Parliament congratulates Alness Academy for being the first secondary school in the Highlands to receive the prestigious Green Flag award from Eco Schools Scotland, an international initiative accrediting schools that make a commitment to continuously improving their environmental performance; commends Alness Academy for improving its school environment and reducing litter and waste, as well as energy and water use, devising more efficient ways for students to travel to and from school, promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging active citizenship of not only its students but also its larger community area, and notes finally that raising environmental awareness at the earliest ages in life is key to developing a large-scale change in citizens’ attitudes toward environmental management and their impact on the planet and, particularly, Alness Academy's home area of Easter Ross.