KARACHI, July 1: The Sindh Education Department has sought technical assistance and coordination from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN-Pakistan) for teachers' training and development of curricula
, propagating environmental concerns, and ways to conserve and upgrade nature.
Sindh Secretary Education Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha, in a meeting with IUCN officials at their country office on Wednesday, called for identification of areas of coordination between the contributory and implementing agencies for real progress towards addressing existing and future environmental concerns.
He said changes in curricula would be brought with the help and guidance of private and public sector institutions and organizations working on environmental issues.
"Infusion of environment education into curricula is a remarkable job, but what is more important is the training to teachers that will go with these changed courses," he remarked.
He informed that the education department had planned to set up a vocational development centre to enhance teachers training. The European Commission, integrated education development (IED) programme and donor agencies, had offered help in this regard, he added.
Pasha said the IED had been asked to design teachers' training course with the coordination of the IUCN. He said his department already had a cell for imparting training to education administrators. However, he said, the IUCN should arrange orientation programmes for these education officers, so they can monitor the impact of teachers training on environmental issues.
The education secretary also invited the IUCN-Pakistan officials to participate in a conference of the donors, who were contributing to promotion and uplift of education in Sindh, so that education could be integrated with environment issues. The conference is scheduled to be held next month.
He advised the IUCN-P to increase their coordination with the IED in its teachers training programme, PITE and Board of Curriculum. He underlined the need for adopting an approach aimed at giving maximum exposure to environment issues covering threats to the environment, and incentives for its conservation and upgradation.
Social, cultural and traditional values should also be given due weight while chalking out a policy in this regard, he added. Director General, Provincial Institute of Teachers Education (PITE) Sindh Dr Mehboob Ali Shaikh urged the IUCN-P to carry out a follow-up to learn the impact on teachers after getting training in environmental issues.
The head of IUCN-P's Sindh programme office, Ali Raza Rizvi stressed the link between environment and development should be aimed at reducing poverty. He said the continuity of a positive behaviour of society towards environment concerns, and the preservation of natural resources was very imperative.
Education, training, legislation and political will was needed to achieve the end, he said. "It is very difficult to achieve the results unless environment issues become a personal agenda," he remarked.
Earlier, he gave a detailed presentation about the IUCN's programmes in various areas of the country regarding environmental education and conservation, and up-gradation of environment including marine resources and coastal life through increased participation of government, NGOs, communities and individuals.
He said the IUCN-P in the province had initiated its projects at district level for guiding district governments to integrate their development plans with environmental concerns. Badin has already been picked up as model area, he said.
Mr Rizvi, who was assisted by coordinator education Zohra Rehmat Ali deliberated upon the IUCN-P's various programmes for creating awareness about environmental issues among students, teachers and the community.
Besides imparting training to teachers, the IUCN has adopted other methods like brochures, documentaries, workshops for disseminating information. IUCN's country representative Abdul Latif Rao and Coordinator Sindh Programme, Nasir Ali Panhwar were also present in the meeting. -APP
