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Weekly tours of our college are welcomed. To book, please contact the office.
Mornington Secondary College - 1051 Nepean Hwy, Mornington
Ph. 5975 6955 www.mornsc.vic.edu.au
Inspirational Learning on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Secondary College is substantially resourced to meet a diverse range of individual needs. We offer
students excellent facilities to maximize the learning potential to maximum standards.
Our Vision... Mornington Secondary College, an inspirational learning environment built on mutual respect, is committed
Weekly tours of our college are welcomed. To book, please contact the office.
Mornington Secondary College - 1051 Nepean Hwy, Mornington
Ph. 5975 6955 www.mornsc.vic.edu.au
Inspirational Learning on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Secondary College is substantially resourced to meet a diverse range of individual needs. We offer
students excellent facilities to maximize the learning potential to maximum standards.
Our Vision... Mornington Secondary College, an inspirational learning environment built on mutual respect, is committed
to success in a student centred, safe atmosphere. High educational standards are provided, expected and encouraged as
are, respect for diversity, self and others. Our provision of broad educational opportunities allows all students a pathway to
success as responsible members of the global community.
respect... honour... relationships... challengerespect... honour... relationships... challenge
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While we are making available our alcohol and
associated culture to our indigenous people,
maybe we should be taking a lead from the
barefoot people of the worldregarding our water
and power supplies
Most of us have roof tops and the ability to put in
a water tank. Is it possible that, if we had a water
tank in our homes, it would put a huge dent in our
city water shortage problem? Note the Rainwater
Harvesting Association of Tigray which is now
a registered body in Ethiopia and was officially
inaugurated on 19 June. Barefoot solar and water
engineers in nine countries are constructing rooftop
rainwater harvesting systems after 6 months of
training at the Barefoot College. The College has
trained over 340 men and women from 16 states
in India and nine other countries in Asia, Africa and
Latin America to become barefoot solar engineers.
And solar power?
Perhaps we can learn much from the barefoot
approach in Ethiopia:
Follow the journey of 60 semi-literate middle-aged
women doing six months training at the Barefoot
College of Tilonia, Rajasthan (India) - training to
becoming solar engineers and electrify 50 rural
communities in Afghanistan, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Mali,
Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Now, nearly 11,000
solar household systems and over 5,000 solar
lanterns provide clean energy and light to more
than 125,000 people.
Yes, solar panels on the roof of native huts
providing power for lights and even computers.
Each of these communities now enjoys light
instead of darkness every night. Solar panels
produce electricity for most homes in Tilonia
besides feeding Barefoot College facilities including
20 computers and a telephone exchange.
This year, many more women and men are
being trained by the Barefoot College to become
Barefoot Solar Engineers. Besides tackling solar
electricity and drinking water, the Barefoot College
addresses the problems of health and sanitation,
girl education, rural unemployment, income
generation and social awareness and conservation
of ecological systems.
About 1.1 billion people world wide have inadequate
water supplies. Barefoot College advocates paying
attention to centuries-old traditions of collecting
rainwater to meet this shortage.
Energy from the sun and water from the rain are
both free so here there is no big-money political
lobby in support as there is with mining and
oil interests. We need to ask "are we allowing
ourselves to be talked out of using these resources
by people who say they will never be an adequate
replacement - when in fact the answer is that we
need them not as a replacement but just as a
means of reducing our need for oil and coal".
Are we so superior that we can't see this
clear Barefoot message for us? For further
information visit www.barefootcollege.org.
- Jim Vickers-Willis
Ex-journalist, Entertainer, Author
www.vickers-willis.com
Can We Lear n fr om
the Bar efoot People
of Tilonia?
Reinforcing environmental issues within
the school has become a predominant “life
education skill” in our Peninsula schools-
starting from the very basics to including whole
community activities. Thanks to all the teachers
dedicated to ‘leading the way’, this is a big task
outside their general teaching duties.
Educating children as young as five to be aware
of the environment, the impact they personally
can have and to motivate and sustain it is a hard
task. To initiate environment consciousness has
been a huge combined effort with local schools
and communities, local and state government,
environmental groups and interest groups.
Many schools on our Peninsula have achieved, or
are achieving 5 star status energy ratings with a
view to sustainability. Parents of the future can and
should understand the importance of this factor
within our schools. By actively seeking out schools
that provide these, we can shape our future.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
• BINNING IT:
Recycling all paper in the school. Compost bins
provided within the classrooms for worm farms
and chook sheds (within school), wrappers taken
home leaving wrap free food in the playground
(encouraging paperless food) non recyclable
rubbish in bins (such as tissues) are allowable.
Hence waste can be reduced maybe up to %50
more within the school.
• ENERGY:
1. Replacement of fluorescent light tubes with
energy swing tubes that provide more light-
‘SWITCH OFF’ when not in use is a very
important reminder.
2. Fans, open windows and closed doors are
encouraged, but if heating and cooling facilities
are necessary use in moderation.
3. Computers regularly shut down when not in use.
• WATER:
- Provision of rainwater tanks for toilets
- Containers placed under drinking taps-
constantly removed by students when full then
used to water plants.
3. Plant drought tolerant plants & vegetated ovals
with drought tolerant grass.
4. Encourage students to drink from their own
water bottle- filled constantly rather than wasting
water from drinking taps.
COMMUNITY AWARENESS PROGRAM:
For example: a creek such as King’s Creek
borders on Hastings Primary School and both the
community and the school have been committed to
being ‘weed warriors’- ridding debris and creating a
‘frog bog’ to attract indigenous frogs back into the
area. Both children and community being involved
create a sense of ‘oneness’.
“Showing children the way” should be a school,
parent and community involvement one that
sustains our children’s future. - Ginger Hill
....................showing children the way
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