STRENGTHENING OF ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION

IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

V. RamalingamCPREEC – Resource Person

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INTRODUCTION:

The importance of Environmental Education is widely recognized all over the world, it is yet to get its rightful place in education.

For more than three decades many attempts have been made to impart Environment Education, still there is no proper solution.

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To achieve the objectives and goals of

EE, many organizations are involved in

environmental education activities in

India

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In the Union Territory of Puducherry

Environmental Education cell (EEC)

functioning in the Directorate of School Education is involved in E E activities

for the past two decades.

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• Familiarisation with one's own body;Awareness about immediate surroundings;• Need for food, water, air, shelter, clothing and recreation;• Importance of trees and plants;• Familiarisation with local birds, animals and other objects;• Interdependence of living and non-living things.• Importance of cleanliness and sanitation;• Importance of celebration of festivals and national days;• Awareness of sunlight, rain and wind;• Caring for pet animals;• Awareness about air, water, soil and noise pollution;• Need for the protection of environment;• Knowledge about the sources of energy;• Importance of the conservation of water resources and forests; and• Indigenous and traditional knowledge about the protection of environment.

Classes I to V

Classes I to V

Awareness about immediate surroundings

Need for food, water, air, shelter, clothing and recreation;

Interdependence of living and non-living things.

Familiarisation with local birds, animals and other objects;

Importance of trees and plants;

Importance of celebration of festivals and national days

Need for the protection of environment;

Awareness about air, water, soil and noise pollution;

Importance of cleanliness and sanitation

Caring for pet animals

Knowledge about the sources of energy

Awareness of sunlight, rain and wind

Importance of the conservation of water resources and forests;

and

Indigenous and traditional knowledge about the protection of environment.

• Education about the environments (Knowledge).

• Education for the environment (Values, Attitudes & Positive actions).

• Education through the environment

Environmental education can be thought of as comprising three linked components:

Knowledge :-As a basis for making informed judgments about the environment people should develop knowledge and understanding of• The natural processes which take place in the environment.• The impact of human activities on the environment.• The comparison between different environments both in the past and present.• Environmental issues such as: (i) The greenhouse effect. (ii) Acid rain and (iii) Air pollution.• Local, national and international legislative controls to protect and manage the environment;• How policies and decisions are made about the environment.• How human life and livelihood are dependent on the environment.• The conflicts, which can arise about environmental issues like river water sharing.• How the environment has been effected owing to past decisions and actions.• The importance of planning and design and an esthetic consideration.• The importance of effective action to protect and manage the environment.

Six crosses curricular skills have been identified which are necessary for environmental education.They are:-• Communication skills.• Numerical skills.• Study skills.• Problem solving skills.• Personal skills.• Social skills & information technology skills.

Skills:-

Promoting positive attitudes towards the environment is essential if pupils/students are to value it and understand their role in safeguarding it for the future.

Encouraging the development of attitudes in personal qualities listed below will contribute to the process.• Appreciations of care and concern for environment.• Concern for other living things on earth.• Independent thought on environmental issues.• Respect for others opinion.• Respect for rational argument and evidence.• Tolerance to face others views.

Attitudes:-

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ACTIVITIES OF THE school Eco-clubs

Participating in the camps , competitions, Awareness based programmes and Action based programmes

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Organising functions at schools during Environment related Days

World Environment DayOzone DayWild Life weekNational Environment MonthWorld Forest DayEarth Day etc

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TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR TEACHERS ONENVORONMENTAL EDUCATION

A wide cross-section of people are trained in conservation technologies, management of natural resources and the environment.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMES FOR CHILDREN

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PROGRAMMES INVOLVING CHILDREN

Environmental orientation to school educationVideo-on-wheelsNational Green CorpsOn line Quiz programmeBio RegisterSurveysTree plantingCleaning Campaigns

Short Trips to the nature spots etc

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Awareness raising programmes

RalliesCampaignsField VisitsExhibitions

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Painting, Essay & Quiz CompetitionsWere conducted

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Eco Exhibitions organised in a school

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Groups of children are taken for green walks to get exposed to different types of local ecosystems like

sacred groves zoo

Organising Field Visits to the nature spots

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Activity based programmes

Tree plantationsVermi compostingKitchen gardenHerbal GardenWealth from waste

Adopt -a- tree programme

Adopting public places

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Nursary RaisingEEC of Puducherry prepares nursery Saplings every year and distribute them freely in collaboration with Esha Foundation

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54Downloading of Saplings to make the School Green

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Mass Tree Planting Programme

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HERBAL GARDEN IN SCHOOLS

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THE CLEANING PROGRAMME

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WATER TESTING

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Solid waste Management in a Primary School

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LEAF ACTIVITY

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BEST Green School – Selection TeamVisited to a school

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POPULARISATION OF GIS AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL

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MAPPING

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WILD-LIFE TOUR

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FOREST TRECKING

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National Environmental Awareness Campaign (NEAC):

NEAC is being organized every year by the Ministry of Forest and Environment through the Nodal Agency CPREEC Chennai. In this scheme, schools in Puducherry actively taking part in the awareness and action campaign based on the theme announced by Union Ministry of Forest and Environment. Great number of teacher, students and public are given exposure on Environmental Education.

92Anti Plastic awareness campaign

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Maintanance of Local Biodiversity Register:

Village Bio diversity Register was enumerated and all biodiversity of their locality was entered in the register.

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Bio Diversity

Data Collected by Students

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Additional suggested Activities:

To achieve the goals and objectives of

Environmental Education the following

activities may be carried out in the schools

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EE - Problem-Solving GAMESTo provide opportunities to the students to have a thorough knowledge about the particular issue or problem and acquire problem solving skills

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This may be done using school wall space in a prominent place various Environmental posters, charts could be displayed from time to time for the benefits of children.

Activities, competition results, poems, drawing may be displayed. They become effective communication media for eco-based messages.

Installing green bulletin Board:

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The prepared tree saplings can be used for greening campus. Excess of sapling can be shared to needy school or distributed to the students to plant in their houses or even raise funds by selling them to forest department

School Green activities

A) School with space: Students should be encouraged to collect seeds of local trees and nursery can be raised.

Schools without enough space: They can maintain tuboponic Environmental Education s by using big bamboo tubes or plastic tubes. They also maintain potted plants. Hanging, terrous garden etc.

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Tree adoption: Children can adopt a tree sapling and maintain during the period of study in the school. Successful students can be given green certificate.

Maintainance of public place :

Group of children may be asked to maintain and care the plants in public place parks or gardens

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During the vacation time Eco-tours can be organized by the teacher. They can visits wildlife parks, zoos, sanctuaries, museum, sand dunes, coastal vegetation, mangrove forests, sacred groves etc and gather information.

Organising visits to environmentally important sites:

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Organising energy saving or water saving campaigns

Best eco club award

Best Green Student Award

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CONCLUSION:

The suggested environmental activities will surely help to achieve the goals and objectives of Environment Education to the students and public, provided the attitude of inspecting officials / Head of Institutions and Teachers should change so as to create a lot of opportunities for children in schools to think and analyse the problems and issues.

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THANK YOU