Environmental Education Using the Oriental White Stork in Japan and the Republic of Korea

The purpose of this study was to clarify the significance and roles of environmental education by reintroducing the oriental white stork, hereinafter referred to as stork education. First, the study focused on how stork education corresponds with the curriculum in school education and needs of learning in the area where the reintroduction of storks is addressed. Second, the focus was on significance and content of stork education in a local government basic educational promotion plan. Furthermore, attempts were made to identify the future in which stork education is taught in Japan and the Republic of Korea. The results revealed the true state of stork education, the role of teacher training courses that employ storks and textbooks, and the development of educational programs in Japan and Korea that have stork education as their theme. The analysis of the application of this educational program and its effects thereof were beyond the range of this study. In conclusion, the results of this study may also beneficial to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programs. Consequently, the researchers recommend conducting a further study on ESD programs to assess how they are contributing toward the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in not only elementary schools but also middle and high schools.