| Environmental Education
- A Tool to create a Greener World Usha Srinivasan cleanindia@sdalt.ernet.in “If people have to take environmental issues as their personal concerns and harmonize their efforts for our common future, the role of education becomes vital. Only education can provide the driving force for such a renewal of awareness. Education should encourage understanding of the ways that environmental problems intimately connect to our daily lives…….., must also inspire the faith that each of us has both the power and the responsibility to affect positive change on a global scale.”- Daisaku Ikeda, President, Soka Gakkai International
Environment Studies exists as a separate subject at the primary school level. At the middle and high school level, though Environmental Science is not a separate subject in the school curriculum, some environment related concepts and issues are integrated with other subjects. Environment related programmes like the National Green Corps of Ministry of Environment and Forests and the school Eco clubs of the state governments have helped in providing learning experiences to deepen the understanding of environmental issues. But, these efforts could not bring about the attitudinal change in students; equip them to face the environmental challenges; and help them in making the right decisions. We need to impart education such that it helps to develop responsible environmental behaviour leading to an improved environment.
The recent judgment of Supreme Court regarding Environmental Education is indeed a long awaited and much needed one. The implications are wide-ranging - initiating proactive action in curriculum/syllabus change; change in pedagogy, evaluation, teachers’ training; and implementation strategies, monitoring and networking.
Introduction and implementation of environment education as an independent subject would require: | • | Formulation of strategies, logistics and comprehensive support systems at different levels - both within the school system as well as outside. | | • | Pedagogy should be based on the needs of the children belonging to different age groups, local context, indigenous perception of environment, cultural tradition and multi-disciplinary approaches. It has to come out from the confines of the school and involve the participation of parents, family and entire community. | | • | Formulation of curriculum in other subject areas to avoid unnecessary duplication and increase in curriculum load. | | • | Evaluation of effective cognitive domains like values, attitudinal changes etc. Evaluation methods have to be formulated to include group evaluation, institutional and community evaluation. | | • | Significant modification in the curriculum and syllabus for both pre-service and in-service teacher education programme. | | • | Large scale exercises at the state level to develop materials for generating awareness among stakeholders. | The text books on Environmental Sciences should not only provide space for physical and natural environment, but also for the social environment as family, school, neighbourhood and community are domains of a child’s life. The textbook content need not be all inclusive. The stress should be on interesting and meaningful treatment of selected themes rather than superficial and information-laden treatment of a smultitude of topics, so that it does not burden the child. The curriculum and teaching–learning process should lead to internalization and help in attitude formation.
The common threads that run through the contents of the text books should: | • | Help enhance child’s relationship with nature and promote appreciation of nature amongst them. | | • | Focus on the interconnectivity between society and environment - highlighting environment as a people’s issue. | | • | Provide a historical perspective as well as address the contemporary reality to provide a holistic picture. Include threats to environment and methods of conservation – How to care for and protect the environment – indigenous methods, wisdom of common people / communities | | • | Empower children to become citizens who are aware of their rights to question environmental trends, to participate in deliberations and to act responsible. Do not project children and communities as the “polluters”, responsible for environmental degradation. Do not talk them down but affirm some of their practices and concerns. | | • | Help questioning of development paradigms, lifestyles and consumption patterns leading to understanding of sustainable development as a paradigm, based on these principle of reduction, reuse and recycle | | • | Include equity issues related to environment and development; environment and social conflict based on gender, class, ethnicity, rural/urban; issues of access and control over resources and unequal distribution of resources; and common shared resources versus privatization. | | • | Inculcate gender sensitivity and understanding of women’s relationship with nature | | • | Present environmental challenges as a concomitant of urbanization. The content should be state-centric and focus on environmental resources and issues related to that place, including comparisons and contrasts with other regions. | | • | Encourage critical thinking on environmental concerns. Attempt to explain them by exploring the roots of the problem and Macro-Micro linkages | | • | Focus on action/ potential for change – taking action at individual, community and Government level. While it is important to evoke children’s participation in caring for environment, it is important to emphasize the critical role that needs to be played by the government, its policies and programmes. | | • | Acknowledge the wisdom of cultural practices, but question traditional practices /religious beliefs that are not environmentally sound or harmful for the environment | | • | Present before the children the dichotomies, contradictions and the complexity of issues that account for difficulties involved in taking decisions. This will encourage them and give them an opportunity to make informed choices. | Today's students are tomorrow's leaders and decision-makers. They need to learn and practice the skills necessary to protect, preserve and restore the environment quality. Environmental education will lead to the acquisition of knowledge, the development of analytical skills, the beginning of environmentally conscious attitudes and ultimately, a responsible behaviour. q Back to Contents |