December 31, 2006

THE present environmental scenario reflects that there are critical environmental challenges that can be addressed by teaching children about conservation of natural resources. However, it requires schools and teachers to incorporate environment based programmes and activities in their schools and teaching methods. This will not only help achieve the desired goals but it will also develop professional and academic approach to environmental education.

Students’ participation in environmental activities at school will have far reaching results. One, they will have something new to study outside of their prescribed syllabi. Two, conservation lectures on fortnightly and monthly basis will develop students’ interest for field activity. What students learn at school acts as a foundation to build their future careers. Furthermore a school is an institution where students “enter to learn” and later on “leave to serve”. In this way the flow of knowledge and information dissemination in a chain-link continues to others.

The teachers teaching environment, who can best be called “green teachers”, must let students understand the environmental issues and learn how to take positive and effective action. For this purpose the classroom is a teaching place where students learn new ideas. Here students can have their awareness raised, and they can be stimulated into thinking about environmental issues and challenges. This would ultimately arouse them into taking action and preparing projects with a purpose of developing a meaningful and respectful relationship with the local environment leading to global approach.

The knowledge imparted by teachers in the classroom develops the students’ knowledge base and academic skills into understanding the issues. This helps students gain a positive approach in the real world and learn that their efforts can make a difference. Teachers must focus on many environmental themes and problems, which will ultimately raise their environmental knowledge.

Through the process of teaching as a continuous process with long term objectives the environmental responsibilities rests on the shoulders of the green teachers. Through environmental education and learning on sustainable bases, they can help students discover the passion and commitment to become better environmental citizens. As role models, the teachers must write articles and features on environment and nature that they can contribute to the newspapers or magazines, which would also motivate their students into doing the same.

Identifying and designing of different environmental activities on part of the teachers will provide students with an enriching learning experience. Teachers must work out a lesson plan on how environmental activities should be conducted. This will indeed engage students to reflect on the world around them and develop practical solutions to everyday environmental problems at the local level in the beginning.

The school administrations can help in this context with non-governmental organisations and government departments by implementing such promising awareness programmes at schools besides regular environment related trainings and manuals for the school staff to augment teaching environment in a sustainable manner. The green teachers may name different groups of students during an exercise or activity at the school. During such tours to some forests or parks students may be divided into groups and named after important birds, animals, or trees and each group may be asked to collect different information about the sightings.

Children having expertise in artwork may be asked to draw a sketch of the surrounding landscape highlighting all the components of the area. This will provide yet another opportunity to students to observe the area closely; a green teacher may even ask the students to give their suggestions regarding any improvement in the area. Asking students to use art as a medium can be a powerful tool for understanding different aspects of the environment. They can also be asked to write narratives to explain and complement their drawings. This brain storming of students would sensitise them. Moreover, after the tour, a test can be given in which students will be judged on their interest; this will make the event meaningful.

Demonstration-based activities make students think about the learning environment, prompting them to consider where and why they learn best. Such activities go beyond traditional lesson plans because students perceive the real problems in a real context as a team. In this way they know their individual role to play for the betterment of the environment as whole.

A conducive teaching environment is critical to the above scenario for several reasons. It prepares students to learn the environmental basics and inculcates in them a progressive spirit for a common environmental cause. When students are taught about the environment they will be able to walk out into the world and demand the same kind of environmentally friendly practices and approaches. They will know how to help others to do the job effectively as future managers and professionals are real assets.

Generally speaking, students are taught different science subjects like physics, chemistry, biology etc which at that time of their study-age may have no instant or immediate benefit in the short term. But when perceived in the long term, teaching these subjects serve as the foundation for their higher studies and prepares them for the advance educational courses. The same is true for teaching environmental sciences.

The significance and importance of topics like environment, World Environment Day, Earth Day, Biodiversity Day, Wetlands Day, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, biodiversity, global warming, conservation, wildlife, biotechnology and related disciplines can be incorporated in school syllabi. Like science subjects (biology, chemistry and physics), which are taught with support of practical/ demonstrations primarily, the environment and wildlife subjects must be demonstrated through role-play, and practical participation. This is necessary as it will leave long lasting effects. This not only enhances interest of students but the message is effectively communicated as well. In addition to this lectures/ teachings could be augmented with pictorial display of information or messages displayed through audio-video aids as compared to verbal lectures.

Students may be asked to prepare charts mounted with different cuttings related to the environment, nature and wildlife from various newspapers and magazines. The clippings may be in the form of news items, features or simple images. Similarly, students can be motivated to prepare an environmental album with a collection of different photos on wildlife, environment, nature, trees, pollution, and capture any activity, which may be against the environmental ethics. They can then be asked to write their comments and views with each of the photos. This activity can best be undertaken when the students are on summer vacations and go on picnics or any excursion with families or friends.

Educational institutions serve as a nucleus and convergent point of knowledge. Different students come from near and distant places, who after attending a school day, go back ‘diverge’ to their respective places and share the information with other children and people of their areas to motivate and earn their support. This is the need if we are to take a step in the right direction for saving our environmental resources.

The writer is a sub-divisional forest officer in the NWFP wildlife department

Email: munksll@yahoo.com

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