Development of a new rating system for existing green schools in Iran

Many green school frameworks exist for guiding schools toward sustainable choices. Some global standards and global green school rating systems are similar to green school rating systems found within individual countries. However, wide-ranging global guidance cannot be generalized to unique and varied national circumstances. Countries use a host of methods to rate green schools. The purpose of the current study was to design and validate a national rating system for green schools in Iran that is based on global standards. The rating system was built with insights from experts and from principals in Iranian green schools. Qualitative and quantitative measurements including: Pseudo Delphi, focus groups, Thurstone Case V, online survey and conjoint analysis were applied to design the national rating system. Four classes of green schools have been proposed: Excellent, Very Good, Good and Non-Green. This system allows the status of individual schools in Iran to be judged with respect to a national rating system. . This article introduces the concepts, requirements and a national rating system for green schools in Iran. The goal of green schools is to cultivate better educated pupils more aware of sustainability.