No school curriculum is complete
without an inculcation of awareness about environment related issues, and a
respect for Mother Nature. Environmental Sciences, an important subject in the
lower classes might be part of the school curriculum, but the reality is that
scant attention is given to it in the senior classes in a large number of
schools! E.V.S. as a formal subject at
the twelfth ISC board level has been discontinued. At the lower levels, it will
now be more of an activity based subject. The implications of this decision has
meant that the subject no longer receives the importance that it had as a
formal subject in schools running under the
I.C.S.E. board guidelines. In C.B.S.E. based schools also, E.V.S. is
taught till class five. But then, inculcation of respect for the environment
and nature should be the most important focus of every school curriculum and
even if it is not taught as a formal subject like E.V.S.
Today, more than ever, there is a
great need to make our young students aware and sensitive about important
environment related issues, and concerns regarding global warming, pollution,
and the benefits of recycling, garbage disposal, and love for Mother Nature.
Some schools have separate dustbins labelled biodegradable and Non-biodegradable waste. The garbage
containers are coloured green and blue respectively. While this is a positive
step towards making students aware about the need to segregated waste, it might
also be a good idea to have a third container labelled, Toxic waste, or
E-waste. Even if these dustbins are never filled, it is important to have them
around even if they are unfilled so that they can stand out as important
reminders of the problems we face with regard to disposal of toxic waste. Toxic
waste and E-waste are usually those products which can’t be recycled by the
local recycler, and they need special treatment. Discarded Lead-Acid batteries,
mobile phones, discarded P.C.B. boards,
electronic equipment, cathode ray tube, and so on contain hazardous and toxic
materials including lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and so on, which if not
handled appropriately will leach into the ground water making it highly toxic.
A school in which I have worked organises Activity Days based on the theme of
recycling waste into useful decoration items. This is an important activity
which explores various ways in which useful objects can be made from discarded
objects. A visit to the Rock Garden in Chandigarh will definitely make students
aware about inventive ways of recycling waste materials. The sale of greeting
cards made from recycled paper and decoration items made from papier-mâché will
motivate students to learn about the importance of recycling paper.
It is only when you take the
children into the lap of Nature that you will be able to make them learn to
appreciate and respect Mother Nature. Alas, forests have receded, and instead
of trees we have concrete jungles, but we can at least, bring Nature to the schools! Planting of
trees, having a horticulture division, planting of rare plants and herbs,
having a zoo, planting of fruit trees encouraging students to bring their pets,
will all instil respect for Nature. Sale of herbal, decorative and exotic
plants grown by the horticulture club of the school will help encourage
students to appreciate the valuable gifts of Mother Nature, and learn more
about plant life, and the importance of conserving them. Government schools in
Delhi are encouraged to set up Eco-Clubs, and they even receive a grant from
the Directorate of Education. This is a positive step taken by the Government
of Delhi, and in many cases, the Eco-Club activities form an important part of
the school activity. Some of the activities of the Eco-Club include
Horticulture, Skits, exhibitions, tree-plantations drives, and waste management
activities. In most cases, these activities provide a refreshing change for the
students and their teachers! Excursions to Game Reserves, National Forests,
Nature Walks, and painting competitions based on Nature will instil respect and
appreciation for Nature in students.
If our purpose of educating
children is to build character, then I guess the best way to do this is by
teaching students to respect and appreciate Nature and to learn to protect the
Environment. It is the small things that we teach in school that finally make
up a whole picture. When you teach a child not to burn garbage, and to
segregate Bio-Degradable waste from Non-Bio-Degradable Waste, you are
training the child to become a
more responsible adult, an adult a better human being, a person with a
better character.
We are only stewards of this Earth, and we can not take our stay on this Earth for granted. This is not a perpetual lease! We are under an obligation to maintain the quality of the Environment. We are responsible for what we take from Mother Nature, and we have to account for it! Children are future leaders and decision makers, therefore it is very important that they should be taught about the need to protect the Environment and respect Mother Nature. As future leaders, children will learn to be more responsible and not exploit the Environment in such a way that there is nothing left for future generations. We have borrowed this planet from our children, and the future generations!
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