HYDERABAD: NGOs dealing with environmental issues have charged the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) with doing a volte face on the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on environmental education.

In a statement, Ravi Rebbapragada, executive director of Samata, said this was clear from the notification issued on Monday about new textbooks released for schools for the academic year 2006-07. There was a mention of the environment subject book only for class III while classes IV to XII were left out.

"This is in total contravention to the Supreme Court judgment for a compulsory separate subject of environment as per the syllabus of NCERT from class I to XII," he said.

All States have gone ahead with the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment and are introducing a new course on environmental education from 2006-07. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have even published new books on the subject. "But now the NCERT decides to backtrack without informing and taking the consent of the Supreme Court," he alleged.

It was during the hearing of this case that the apex court asked for personal appearance of the chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu considering the gravity of the matter.

Thorough review

The Supreme Court had earlier done a thorough review on the status of educating children on environmental issues and felt that the non-formal, nature or eco clubbing studies would not create the desired impact, he said.

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