The Hindu : Stress on environmental education

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Stress on environmental education

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 14. Aimed at reviewing the draft syllabus prepared by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) and taking upon issues significant to the introduction of environmental education at different stages of school education, a two-day "National Consultation Meeting on Environmental Education'' ended in the Capital today.

Over 60 eminent environmentalists, educationists, non-government organisations, representatives from various national and State- level organisations and experts working in the area of environment from all over India participated in the conference.

The conference was organised in view of a directive from the Supreme Court to the NCERT to prepare a model syllabus for all stages of school education.

"The NCERT had initiated the process of syllabus development by approaching a large number of experts to seek their comments and views on this subject. The present National Consultation meeting was a follow-up of this process,'' said NCERT officials.

At the two-day seminar, the major issues discussed about "Environmental Education in Schools'' included context and concerns, curricular policy issues and models, content and its organisation, pedagogical issues and operational implications.

Speaking at the seminar, the Planning Commission member, D.N. Tewari, highlighted the various environmental issues and problems the country was facing and their implications for development. He also drew attention to the fact that degradation in respect of all major resources like land, water, and air had reached unprecedented levels. "This is the factual position despite the country having participated in many global conventions. The major cause for this dismal scenario is lack of awareness, consciousness and action on the part of the people,'' said Dr. Tewari. He also emphasised that the need of the hour was to motivate and mobilise the young to take appropriate action in keeping with the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the country.

He claimed that at the elementary level, topics such as health and hygiene, proper food habits, sanitation, sewage disposal, pollution and its problems should be focussed upon.

At the higher levels, in addition to the above, more subjects like eco-restoration, water harvesting, use of bio-products, sewage treatment and sustainable development, should be included. Earlier, welcoming the chief guest and the delegates, NCERT director, J. S. Rajput, drew attention to the NCERT's efforts in promoting environmental education in the schools. He acknowledged that there was a need to further strengthen environmental education and to make it more action-oriented.

Prof. Rajput also called upon the delegates to give their opinion and suggestions on how to develop a suitable model of environmental education for the schools that would result in a graded, value- based and action-oriented syllabus.

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