Why gardening should be on the National Curriculum

Before we moved to France I was as an Environmental Educator working with primary school children.  I covered a range of activities including gardening.  I helped the children plan, build and use gardens in their schools.  It was hugely satisfying work and the children loved what they thought was non school work, where in fact they were learning so much.  My work was outside of the National Curriculum and relied on head teachers realising how important this "work" was, especially as much of the area I worked in was very urban, with many children having limited access to gardens or outdoor green spaces.   Both then and now I strongly believe that gardening should be part of the National Curriculum as it teaches children so many important things.

Why gardening should be put on the National Curriculum

It teaches children:

> Core subjects:

• Maths when they plan gardens and work out costs of seeds etc, calculating how much they have grown, costing produce to sell - the list goes on
• Science/Biology/Ecology - gardening is science in action!
• Literacy when they write up gardening reports
• Latin for all those official scientific plant and animal names.
• Geography - weather and climate, gardening/growing around the world
• History - plant and garden development through time. The importance of plants such as spices, cotton etc
• IT - for planning and recording
• Design and Technology - gardens and tools need designing.
• Art - drawing/painting plants etc, studying famous plant paintings
• Music - lots of garden and plant related music to study as well as making instruments from plants the children have grown.
• PSHE -  Personal, social, health and economic, education.  This is where gardening really comes into things. 

PSHE education is defined by the schools inspectorate Ofsted as a planned programme to help children and young people develop fully as individuals and as members of families and social and economic communities.

Well gardening can teach so much of this and helps children to develop valuable life skills:

> Patience - we live in an instant world so gardening teaches children that some things are worth waiting for.
> Team work
> Planning and organising
> Nurturing  and responsibility
> Sustainability - children need to learn where their food comes from to understand the concept of sustainability.
> Dexterity - all those little seeds need careful handing and thinning seedlings is dexterous work.
> Cooking and what better way than to cook veg they have grown themselves.
> Healthy eating- fresh organic veg straight to their plates!
> An understanding of the wider world - too many people do not know where their food comes from or what is involved in getting it to their plates.

Gardening also has some great health benefits:

• Being outside and gardening helps keep children fit.
• Sunshine helps top up their Vitamin D levels.
• Exposure to soil helps build up immunity to disease.
• Nurturing plants has been shown to have positive mental health benefits.
• Builds self esteem and a genuine sense of achievement.

Wow - ALL that from a some time spent gardening and the children will not even realise they are having a "lesson".  It is also a huge benefit for those less academic children who may not shine when it comes to official tests, homework and traditional lessons but who thrive when doing something practical like gardening.

In Holland there are whole schools where gardening, animal husbandry and care of the environment are their core teaching subjects.  When I was at school you could do O'Levels (GCSEs) in Agriculture or Rural Studies.  These led me on to a career in countryside management and then environmental education.  Gardening teaches so much to our next generation.  I believe now, more than ever, the Government needs to get Gardening (and agriculture) onto the curriculum and as a recognised GSCE.

Do you agree?