The whole-school approach to sustainability is recognized as a vital educational component for moving toward sustainable societies. ‘Green-school certification’ in Israel, as a whole-school sustainability program, integrates: changes in school operations, incorporating sustainability content in the curriculum and building links with local communities; aiming that sustainability become the students’ mindset and the school’s organizational culture. This study investigated the influence of this program on: 1) upper primary students’ environmental literacy, using a closed and open-ended questionnaire; 2) incorporating sustainable practice in the schools’ operations, using an ‘environmental visibility’ tool. Students’ environmental literacy and the school’s environmental performance were higher in schools that had moved to the advanced certification. Despite this, the educational gains lag behind achievements in the schools’ environmental performance. Recycling is perceived as the foremost means for environmentally-responsible behavior and students do not relate between their personal materialistic consumption and its environmental consequences. This implies that the program needs to advance from ‘light green’ sustainability education to tackle consumption, as a major issue of modern society, from the more fundamental transitions required in lifestyles and values. Another major challenge is maintaining the school’s long-term commitment to sustainability post-certification. Suggestions are provided for addressing these issues that may increase the contribution of this framework, as the educational channel for national SD policy, to promote sustainability.

在全校方式向可持续发展被公认为实现可持续社会活动的重要教育内容。以色列整体学校的“绿色学校认证”可持续发展计划包括：学校运营的变化，将可持续发展内容纳入课程并与当地社区建立联系；旨在使可持续发展成为学生的心态和学校的组织文化。这项研究调查了该计划对以下方面的影响：1）使用封闭式和开放式问卷调查高年级学生的环境素养；2）使用“环境可视性”工具将可持续实践纳入学校的运营中。在获得高级认证的学校中，学生的环境素养和学校的环境绩效更高。尽管如此，教育收益仍落后于学校在环境绩效方面的成就。回收被认为是对环境负责的行为的首要手段，学生在个人的物质消费与其对环境的影响之间不存在任何联系。这意味着该计划需要从“浅绿色”可持续发展教育发展为解决现代社会的一个重大问题，即从生活方式和价值观念所要求的更根本的转变中解决消费问题。另一个重大挑战是维持学校对认证后可持续发展的长期承诺。为解决这些问题提供了建议，这些问题可能会增加该框架作为国家可持续发展政策的教育渠道以促进可持续性的贡献。这意味着该计划需要从“浅绿色”可持续发展教育发展为解决现代社会的一个重大问题，即从生活方式和价值观念所要求的更根本的转变中解决消费问题。另一个重大挑战是维持学校对认证后可持续发展的长期承诺。为解决这些问题提供了建议，这些问题可能会增加该框架作为国家可持续发展政策的教育渠道以促进可持续性的贡献。这意味着该计划需要从“浅绿色”可持续发展教育发展为解决现代社会的一个重大问题，即从生活方式和价值观念所要求的更根本的转变中解决消费问题。另一个重大挑战是维持学校对认证后可持续发展的长期承诺。为解决这些问题提供了建议，这些问题可能会增加该框架的作用，作为国家可持续发展政策的教育渠道，以促进可持续性。