EVS

Introduction

                                       Environment consists of both formal and informal standards of living organisms and non living organisms. Human beings  destroying the environment as day passes, it will lead to the destruction of birds, animals, plants and human beings. Environmental education aims to provide general awareness to the humanity about the protection of environment.

Environmental Education

                                              Environmental education is the teaching of individuals, and communities in transmitting to a society that is knowledgeable of the environment and its associated problems and motivated to solve them.

Environmental Education in India

                                              Environmental education in the formal school curriculum has been influenced by two national policy documents: National Curriculum Framework (2005) and the Directive of the Supreme court in response to a 1991 petition filled by shri M C Mehta. Based on it, an environment perspective is to be added to all subjects, from standard I to XII.  The Government of India also makes environmental education as a compulsory subject in the higher education system. And even in the B. Ed curriculum, environmental education has a major role.

Problems Faced in Imparting Environmental Education

                                              Some of the major problems facing environmental education in the country can be described as follows:

1.    Attitudinal Barrier

                                              Research findings show that children consider several areas are more important than EE and also felt that it is not useful for their career. Thus, they totally ignore environmental education and most of the institutions neglect environmental education from the curriculum and include some other subjects like Yoga, spoken English.

2.    Lack of Environmental Training Modules

                                              The status of environmental training programs and its contents are not satisfactory.

3.    Lack of Preparedness of Teachers

                                              Another barrier to EE activities is the reluctance of support and lack of preparedness on part of the teachers.

4.    Inadequate School Curriculum

                                              No one can deny that the current curriculum is focused on age old teaching practices prevailing over decades and is responsible for development of stress among students and thereby affecting their normal developments. We need to develop curriculum which will develop skills and attitudes in the students.

5.    Ineffective Environmental Education Programs and Policies

                                              Without a doubt, the present EE programs are not satisfied or sufficient to drive students for opting environment as a career option. Few steps are taken by Ministry of Environment and Forest, India. However, the implementation of these steps and policies is a major challenge.

6.    Lack of Environmental Awareness and Lack of Organizational Support

                                              There is also need for better communication and collaboration with developed countries. There is need of extensive teachers training and their participation in workshops and conferences to expose them with new environmental education materials, techniques and information.

7.    Resource Constraints

                                              Lack of resources is one of the major problems that is being encountered in the promotion of education in the country. Any environment education programme requires adequate resources, both in terms of money and personnel, if it is to be implemented successfully.

8.    High Dropout Rate

                                              Because of high dropout rate in our education system, teachers are left with no option but to begin the Environmental Education component from the primary classes to ensure that the students, even if they dropout later, are sensitized to the environment problems.

9.    Social Constraints

                                              Sometimes conclusions drawn from the study of EE may dash with the prevailing social, religious and political thinking. This clash thinking may lead to undesirable confrontation too.

10.Difficulty in Assessment

                                              Assessment of the  work done as part of EE is difficult as many a time it is difficult to think of a common yardstick to evaluate the work done under different projects.

11.  A shortage of trained education officers in EE in the government to plan, organize, implement and monitor environmental education programmes in schools.

12.  Weak monitoring system.

13.  Lack of good communication networks, cooperation and coordination within and among the various governmental and non- governmental organizations.

14.  Lack of appropriate legislative frameworks, enforcement and institutional support.

15.  Lack of commitment and involvement on the part of the people concerned.

16.  High turnover of staff in schools and government

Conclusion

                                              As environmental education is needed to protect our environment, we must pay proper attention to the environmental education in our education system. Thus, we must make proper remedial measures to overcome the hurdles in the implementation of environmental education.

Bibliography

Nagarajan,K., & Nithyasri, N.(2017). Environmental education. Chennai: Sriram Publishers.

Singh,Y.K.(2014). Environmental education. New Delhi: APH Publishing House.

Chand, J. (2014). Teaching of environmental Science. Delhi : Anash Publishing House.

Ham,S. (1998). Barriers to environmental education. Retrieved from:

        https://www.researchgate.com.