Preface

Water has emerged as a critical concern in Southeast Asia.  Print and electronic news reports on water scarcity, disasters, pollution or conflicts over water resources are appearing with worrisome frequency in Southeast Asian newspapers.

Concerns over water should be addressed not only the supply side - how it is sourced, managed, distributed, recycled – among other engineering and management concerns. On the demand side, the succeeding generations of Southeast Asians must appreciate water as a resource for human survival.

Integrating human values in water, sanitation and hygiene education (HVWSHE) is a necessary approach for introducing a new and sustainable water use ethic in Southeast Asia. Linking human values with water, sanitation and hygiene issues goes beyond imparting and acquiring knowledge and information. Knowledge gained must translate into positive attitudes and values, as well as the desired behaviour.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN HABITAT) introduced HVWSHE as an innovative approach for developing a sustainable water use ethic in African countries. The Regional Consultations on Values-Based Water and Sanitation Education, hosted by the Philippine Department of Education In 2003, introduced HVWSHE to the education ministries of Southeast Asia.  The regional consultation-workshop was the first activity jointly conducted by the Ministries of Education of Southeast Asian the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) and UN HABITAT.

This cooperation evolved into a full-blown project to promote HVWSHE in Southeast Asian schools through a Cooperation Agreement signed in November 2005. The cooperation seeks to address both infrastructure concerns and curricular interventions relating to water, sanitation and hygiene.

The Regional Planning Workshop for the project was convened on 21 to 24 November 2005 in Cha-Am, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Senior education officers representing SEAMEO Member Countries came together to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of HVWSHE and develop ideas on how best to promote HVWSHE in the schools. Among the workshop recommendations was the development of a resource package on HVWSHE to be used by teachers and teacher trainers. The resource package would build on the examples used in Africa while drawing from the existing elements of human values, water, health and sanitation that are now taught in the primary and secondary schools.

The workshop also called for drawing up sample lesson plans for different grade levels and varying learning areas to demonstrate to teachers how human values could be integrated into the various lessons.

Several regional activities brought together curriculum, materials development and teacher training experts from the SEAMEO Member Countries to draft, refine and review the lesson plans and materials. The materials also covered elements of the HVWSHE lessons used in the UN HABITAT Project in Africa. Complementing the collaboration among Ministries of Education, the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) and the SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMEO SEAMOLEC) also worked together to develop the resource package.

This package will be available in print and digital format for use by teachers and teachers and teacher-trainers. The materials introduce the concept of human values in water education and the ways to make the concept operational in various education streams, levels and delivery modes. They should provide information and help stimulate insights on current international initiatives relating to sustainable use and maintenance water resources. The package must serve as a teaching tool, providing suggestions on contemporary approaches to integration of various concepts for enhancing learning effectiveness.

The examples and materials shared here are starting points to challenge teachers’ creativity and innovation. Teachers are encouraged to explore, test, and modify the examples given in the resource package and share the results of their experiments. The regional team that put together this material would welcome feedback on the innovations that were tried out in the field.

The HVWSHE resource package is the result of dedicated work by the regional team, SEAMEO Regional Centres and Network and the officers in the Ministries of Education of SEAMEO Member Countries. We are grateful for the support of UN HABITAT and their network institutions that made the project and this resource package possible.

EDILBERTO C. DE JESUS
Director