From Scepticism to the Urge to Take Action,or from Daily Frustration to a Solo Initiative

This paper describes an action research project at the elementary school in Wurflach in Lower Austria during the pilot phase of the Ecologisation of Schools programme initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education and the OECD. Over this period, the author was teaching in the school, and counselling another school in Lower Austria also involved in the programme. After a period of conflict, caused by mutual misunderstandings and lack of communication, the positive effects of the project began to emerge. There was increased team work among the teachers; more positive relationships between pupils and teachers; greater understanding and more constructive working relations between the school community and the school caretaker, Hannerl Bartl; and relations between the school and the parents, the local community, and especially the local mayor, were greatly enhanced.