Södermalmsskolan : en fallstudie om hur arbetet med en skolträdgård kan bedrivas idag
Abstract: The purpose has been to, by the means of literature studies and conversation, give landscape architects, teachers or other interested people an increased understanding of school gardens as a phenomenon. One episode in the essay describes school garden’s historical background and how its ideology has changed as the society has developed. A conversation with a spokesperson for Södermalmsskolan in Stockholm, depict how a communal public school handles the management of a school garden today. I have also wanted to present the conditions that society and the schools organisation has put on the management of the garden on this particular school. In the year of 2007 Södermalmsskolan got the opportunity to found its school garden thanks to the environmental campaigns that were realized by the city of Stockholm. The purpose of the commune was to offer means that could help realizing ideas associated with a preventive environmental work. In the essay I investigate if Södermalmsskolan’s purposes also stretches further than the formal goals set by the commune, now that the possibility to have a school garden, has been given to them. The school was chosen because it has had school gardens in the past which opens for a deeper reflection on the work conducted by them today. The informant for the conversation was chosen because she was the originator of the school’s garden project. From the conversation it is made clear that the school garden is dependent on real enthusiasts. The board does not reserve enough work time for the teachers to maintain the facility or to organize the work with the children. Practical problems with the maintenance of the facility, is also something that has affected the management of the garden. Not all teachers want to run the school garden, due to lack of interest or time. On the other hand they all seem to appreciate the greenery and the children in particular, show a great deal of interest for gardening. In the discussion part it is made clear that a lot speaks for the school garden and that a renaissance for it, is right in time. We must not only teach the children about ecology, as the support for the current school intend to, but also give the children a school garden that counteract the problems schools are facing today. Stressed and unruly pupils can come to peace in the school garden and the government should take as much responsibility for this, as they do for the environment.
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