ENVIRONMENTAL ORIENTATION TO SCHOOL EDUCATION
10.1 Protection of the environment has received emphasis as one of the ten items in the core curriculum in the National Policy on Education. NPE also visualises environmental consciousness to permeate all stages of education. The scheme has been prepared in the Ministry on the basis of consultations held with the Department of Environment, Wild Life and Forests in January 1987. The scheme would comprise about 100 projects to be taken up during the Seventh Plan. Each project will cover an ecologically homogenous area and would comprise a few Blocks or up to 3-4 districts. The scheme has the following components:
- Creation of a Unit in the Ministry to oversee the programme involving interaction with State Governments, educational insti- tutions and voluntary agencies.
- Creation of a Unit with similar functions in each State Govern- ment.
- Constitution of a project team for each project area to bring together the voluntary agencies, the Teacher Training Institu- tions, the schools and the State level academic institutions like SCERT and Text Book Bureaus.
- Review of syllabi and textbooks in each project are to include the local environmental concerns and to use locally relevant illustrations and exorcises. SUPW/work experience will be rede- signed in the project area as may be relevant to the local envi- ronmental concerns.
- Assistance to voluntary agencies on 100% basis for undertaking activities relevant to environmental consciousness and environ- mental education in schools.
- Assistance to schools having land and water facilities to raise nurseries and to take up plantation. Coordination will be done with the local Forest Department and the Waste Land Development Boards.
10.2 After State Governments identify Project areas in the light of the guidelines and prepare project reports, the Ministry will sanction financial assistance. The State Governments will recruit project teams which will implement sanctioned projects.
10.3 The scheme has been recently approved by the Governemnt and circulated to the States for implementation from the year 1988-89.
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