The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Time to think up innovative ways to save the world

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Thursday, Dec 06, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Time to think up innovative ways to save the world

Staff Reporter

Subject could be introduced in the curriculum
India has to adopt sustainable development practices

CHENNAI: If you were to leave on a spaceship for 6,000 years what would you take on board to sustain your life and that of your offspring? How will you manage resources and life? This scenario was discussed at a State-level workshop on education for sustainable development organised by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) India here on Tuesday.

“It is time to stop, re-think and start all over again,” said one of the resource people, who guided the participants to think of innovative ways to solve the world’s problems. The participants included curriculum developers, textbook writers, educators, as well as environmental educators from non-governmental organisations.

Leif Ostman, chief resource person and professor of Uppsala University, Sweden, said environmental issues could no longer be looked at in isolation. “There needs to be a complex method of involving the social, economic and cultural aspects which are intrinsically intertwined with the environment. That is what education for sustainable development is,” he said.

“Spread the message”

According to J. Murali, Regional Director of WWF India, 2005 to 2014 has been declared as the decade for education on sustainable development by the United Nations. “India also has to take steps to spread the message and actively participate in the process of sustainable development practises,” he said.

“Since 2005, environmental education has been made compulsory. With possibilities of further changes to the curriculum in the future, there is an opportunity to introduce this subject instead of focusing on environmental issues alone,” he said.

Mr. Murali spoke about why education on sustainable development was vital in India. “Eighty per cent of global construction work will take place in India and China. There is also a rapid urbanisation which is taking place,” he said.

Mr. Murali added that it was counterproductive to harp on the negative aspects while teaching children. “We have to make them understand that there is a better future if we act now.”

Professor Ostman said environmental issues could not be forced upon people, especially in a country where there is so much development taking place alongside a large population of people living in poverty.

Relate facts to life

K. Sampath of the District Institute of Education and Training, Cuddalore, a participant at the workshop said he had been promoting eco-schools in his area. “Schools environments are often not clean and teachers too are indifferent to these aspects. The problem is that our curriculum and exams only focus on facts, they tend to leave aside how to relate these with life, attitude and values,” he said.

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