UNIT-1 INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Introduction:
Environment means the surrounding of an organism. It originated from French word Environner
which means to surround. Environment includes water, air, land and their interrelationships with living
organism. i.e inter-relation between biotic and abiotic components. In other word environment is a collective
term describing the conditions surrounding an organism. Environmental education give us awareness about
environment.

MEANING OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Environmental education is education through, about and for environment. According to the
environmental specialists, any solution to the environmental crisis is called environmental education.
It provides us with the skills and attitude to play a productive role in improving life and values. It
creates awareness about needs of environmental protection among the people. It also help us to conservation
and improvement of the environment.
Environmental education is equipping people with knowledge, attitudes, skills and motivation that
they need to resolve environmental issues. i.e education for the environment, education about the
environment and education through the environment.

DEFINITION:
Environmental education is the process of recognizing values and clarifying concepts in order to
develop skill and attitudes necessary to understand and appreciate the inter-relatedness among man, his
culture, and his biophysical surroundings UNESCO 1970.
Environmental education appears to a process that equips human beings with awareness,
knowledge, skills, attitudes and commitment to improve environment Mishra 1993
Environmental education involves teaching about the value, judgment and the ability to think clearly
about complex problems about the environment which are political, economic, and philosophical as they are
technical Proceeding of the organization of American states;
Environmental education is a way of implementing the goals of environmental protection. It is not
separate branch of science or field study. It is principles of life long integrated education - UNESCO 1976.

SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

The chief objective of environmental education is that individual and social groups should acquire
awareness and knowledge, develop the attitudes, skill to participate in solving environmental problem. So
environmental education can be studied different term in which they are grouped into four components.

Awareness
Real life situation
Conservation
Sustainable development

Page 1 out of 4| Unit 1 | Introduction To Environmental Education

Anand KCEDN

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

Elective Environmental Education

I. awareness:
Each individual acquire awareness about physical, biological and cultural aspects of environment. i.e
the environment is linked with life support system such biotic and abiotic components.
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Structure and function of ecosystem;

Energy flow in biotic and abiotic components;
Population dynamics;
Human intervention in natural process.

ii. Real life situation:

In this part, Environmental education provide knowledge about the problems of the environment in
the real life situation. Eg
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graphical scale of environmental problem;

time scale of environment problem;
The socio-economic system affected by environmental problem.

iii. Conservation:
Environmental education guides the utilization of natural resources, not only for present but also it is
looking for uses of the future generations.
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The careful use of natural resources such as trees, oils, to prevent them from being lost or wasted.
Public movements against the disturbance / destroy of environment like Chipko and Apiko.

iv. Sustainable development:

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generation to meet their own needs. i.e to give support to or to provide what is needed
for to exist.
Sustainable development promotes the idea that social, environmental and economic progress are all
attainable within the limits of our earths natural resources. eg. project, research, etc.,
Sustained
i.

Developed
People:

Nature:
Earth
Biodiversity
Ecosystem

life support:
ecosystem
resources
environment

Economy
Society

Community
Cultural
Group
Place

ii.

iii.

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Child survival
Life expectancy
education
wealth
productive sectors
consumption
Institution
State
region

Anand KCEDN

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

Elective Environmental Education

So environmental education is

considered totality natural and social;

continuous life long process, i.e preschool to life end;
include both formal and non-formal;
interdisciplinary studies; and
involves knowledge problem solving skill, conservation, and development.

INCORPORATING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT VARIOUS LEVEL

Environmental education been introduced in school curriculum at various levels. In India, all state
boards and central board schools follow the syllabus, accordance with National Policy on Education 1986,
which incorporating the environmental education at various level based on awareness, real life situation,
conservation and sustainable development.

i. Primary level:
The main objectives at primary level is to make awareness of environment(knowledge). At this
stage, it emphasizing the child should learn about the environment by 75% building up awareness,
followed by 20% real life situation and 5% conservation. The contents about the surroundings such as from
home to school and outdoor situation are taught by using audio visual aid and field visits. NCERT and other
state board design syllabi and text books to teach environmental education for student.
At pre-school level:
A general awareness about personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness are introduced through
colorful diagrammatic illustration and rhymes related to nature.
At elementary level:
The environmental cleanliness and concept of Environment are introduced. At this level, the
relationship between the child and environment is emphasized. i.e the child understands that he/ she is
surrounded by land, water, air, plants and animals through storytelling and poems.
Environmental education was introduced to the standard from 1 to 2 as environmental science, later
standard from 3 to 5 as incorporated with language and mathematics, science and social science.

ii. Secondary level:

The main objectives at secondary level is relevance for real-life situation of environment
(understanding). At this level, knowledge of real life situations, conservation and sustainable development
should be increased with general science through practical experiences.
At secondary level all state boards and central schools introduced the environmental the
environmental education course and material based on ecological, bio-geographical principles and their
issues.
The school children initially studied about energy, rain water harvesting, water, environmental
hygiene, ecosystem, medicinal plants and its values, diseases, crop production and management, air,
water, soil pollutions, and natural resources.

Page 3 out of 4| Unit 1 | Introduction To Environmental Education

Anand KCEDN

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

Elective Environmental Education

Later classes, in science - they learn chemicals in our daily life; electricity production and energy;
conservation of environment; bio-geo chemical cycle; animal kingdom; improvement in food resources;
In social science geography; protection of soil and forest; different type of pollution and ozone depletion;
global warming; earth etc. Language provide natural and conservation oriented prose and poems.

iii. Higher secondary levels:

The main objective at higher secondary level is conservation of natural resource of
environment(Skill). In this stage, emphasis is laid on conservation, problem identification and action skills.
Science based and action oriented work should be provided to the child through proper teaching and
practical work.
In general, at this level, only those student selecting science subjects like mathematics, physics,
chemistry and biology are exposed to environmental education. They are learn more about pollution,
ecology, population ecology and the role of science and technology in eliminating the various
environmental problems.

Page 4 out of 4| Unit 1 | Introduction To Environmental Education

Anand KCEDN

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

K. Anand, Asst. Prof., Krishnasamy College of Education for Women, Puducherry - India.

Elective Environmental Education