Having found little information on environment-related issues in the syllabus of school children, district magistrate Virendra Kumar Singh has decided to draft an educational booklet to address the grave issue. DM said with the commencing of classes in July, booklets would be distributed among children of all government and private schools.

“We will also launch a campaign for the schoolchildren to engage them in various activities from slogan and essay writing to sapling plantation. Best performers will get awards,” he said.

Speaking to TOI, DM said to know how much schoolchildren from classes II to XII were being educated on environment-related issues, he had asked the district science officer to go through syllabus of all boards and submit a report. 

“It was stunned to find that except little knowledge — that too for senior classes only — issues related to rainwater harvesting, tree plantation, hazard associated with the use of plastic bags and many other things were completed missing. Time is ripe when the environment education must be imparted from the beginning in the school as kids are very sensitive as well as vulnerable to polluted environment.” 

Singh said little information on environment in school texts compelled him to make children aware of those issues. 

“I have drafted a booklet on environment-related issues in simple words so that all level of students could easily understand the value of saving water and power, plantation, rainwater harvesting and plastic bags hazards. Final draft of the booklet will be ready to go to the press within a couple of days. Soon after schools are open in first week of July, booklets will be distributed among children,” he said.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/