Environmental Education - objectives and importance

Environmental problems have become the issues of global concern due to their worldwide impact. A better understanding of one’s own environment is indispensable for its rational development. Environmental education (EE) is a powerful means to know and understand the physical and cultural environment as a whole with the rational use and conservation of environmental resources for development.

Definition

The international union for the conservation of nature (IUCN) has stated that ‘environmental education is the process of recognizing values and clarifying concepts in order to develop skills and attitudes necessary to understand and appreciate the interrelatedness among men, his culture and his biophysical surroundings’.

Environmental education is the cornerstone of long-term environmental strategies for preventing environmental problems, solving those which arise or have occurred and assuring environmentally sound sustainable development.

Aims of environmental education (UNESCO, Tbilisi declaration, 1978)

1.    To foster awareness and concern about environmental issues that affect us at local, regional, national and global levels.

2.    To provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environment.

3.    To develop and reinforce new patterns of environmentally sensitive behaviour among individuals, groups and society as a whole for a sustainable environment.

5 – Objectives of Environmental education (UNESCO – UNEP Jan.1996)

1.    Awareness – to acquire an awareness and sensitivity towards the environment as a whole and the issues, questions, and problems related to environment and development.

2.    Knowledge – to acquire a basic understanding of the environment and its associated problems.

3.    Attitudes – to acquire social values, strong feelings of concern for the environment and the motivation to actively participate in protection of the environment.

4.    Skills – to acquire the skills for identifying and solving environmental problems.

5.    Participation – to develop a sense of responsibility and motivation to be actively involved at all levels in creating a sustainable environment.

Guiding principles of environmental education

(UNESCO-UNEP-IEEP-the Belgrade Charter, 1975)

·       Environmental education should be a continuous life-long process both in-school and out-of-school, both formal and non-formal.

·       Environmental education should be interdisciplinary in its approach.

·       Environmental education should emphasize active participation in preventing and solving pollution and environmental problems.

·       Environmental education should examine major environmental issues from a holistic point of view.

Global initiates on Environmental education

The UNESCO and UNEP created 3 major declarations that have guided the course of environmental education (EE).
Stockholm Declaration (Sweden, June 5-16, 1972)
It declared that EE must be used as a tool to address global environmental problems. The document published has 7 proclamations and 26 guiding principles regarding the preservation and enhancement of human environment.
The Belgrade Charter (Belgrade, October 13-22, 1975)
The charter added goals, objectives and guiding principles for new environmental programmes. It also added the general public in the programmes.
The Tbilisi declaration (Georgia/USSR, October 14-26 1977)
This declaration updated the goals, objectives, characteristics and guiding principles of environmental education.

Environmental teaching

Awareness and education are important inputs for a correct appraisal of environmental problems. Environmental education can be taught at various levels: formal and non-formal systems including adult education. In the formal level, there are 4 distinctive but chronological steps, which are mutually supportive.

Primary level-àlower secondary level--à higher secondary level--à tertiary level

At the primary level emphasis has to be on environmental awareness. At the lower secondary level, learners have to be taught to appreciate the real-life environmental situations at the local level. At the higher secondary level, Environmental conservation has to be emphasized. At tertiary level, learners have to be taught on sustainable development i.e., sustainable agriculture and forestry, integrated land use management, eco-farming and waste management etc.

Approaches of EE in formal education

1.    Infusion approach – the concepts and values of EE are infused with other subjects that are already included in the curriculum such as physics, chemistry, geography and languages. This approach is adopted at the school level in India.

2.    EE as separate subjects – Indian universities have introduced separate subject at undergraduate and post graduate levels.

3.    Occasional programmes for EE- Under this approach, occasional camps or eco-excursions are organized solely for the purpose of environmental education.

Conclusion

Education has always played a crucial role in the society because it inculcated necessary skills and attitudes in the learner’s life. So education has been identified as a critical driving force in environmental education. The content and approaches of environmental education need sufficient review and change at the various levels of formal, non-formal and informal education at all levels of society.