Schools, colleges go green on SC call

BY V L SRINIVASAN

Published on May 22, 2006

Hyderabad: Nearly two years after the Supreme Court gave a direction to include environmental education in school and college curricula, the State Government has decided to introduce ‘Green Syllabi’ for all classes up to Intermediate from the ensuing academic year.

The Supreme Court gave a direction in October 2004 to the Central and State Governments, institutions like All India Council for Technical Education, University Grants Commission, Medical Council of India, National Council for Teachers Education and National Council for Educational Research and Training to introduce the environmental education in all classes from school to university level.

While the course was introduced in degree, medical and engineering colleges last year, it is being introduced in agriculture and law colleges in the State this year.

By doing so, AP became the first State in the country to introduce ‘Green Syllabi’ at all levels in the schools and jun! ior coll eges.

Nearly 18 lakh books, both in English and Telugu medium, have been prepared by the Andhra Pradesh National Green Corps (APNGC) and released by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in November last year. After going through the content, the School Education department suggested some changes which were incorporated.

These books would be distributed among students of 72,000 primary and upper primary schools, also 10 lakh students of Ninth and Tenth classes and two lakh students studying Intermediate. While the English medium books are being distributed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and APNGC, the Telugu medium books are circulated under the Centrally-sponsored Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.

‘‘A training programme will be held for teachers and students in June to make them familiarise with the subject,’’ APNGC Director W G Prasanna Kumar told Express.

The NGC organised 112 summer camps for school students across the State to explain the various activities relating to environment education, Prasanna Kumar said.

Meanwhile, as a prelude to World Environment Day on June 5, whose theme is ‘Don’t Desert Drylands,’ the NGC has launched a 40-day campaign today to draw public attention towards the environmental issues. Some 600 children from NGC and Jawahar Bal Bhavan summer camps formed a human chain in the Public Gardens. During an interaction with officials, they sought to know the reasons behind the malnutrition, hunger and desertification of many areas.