Environment Awareness should be coupled with action-oriented environmental education-Dr.K.Govindaraju.

Dr.K.Govindaraju speaks on Environmental Education

“Environment Awareness should be coupled with action-oriented environmental education program in Schools as designed to develop students and staff as environmental stewards” said Dr.K.Govindaraju, Chairman of South Zone Board of Continuing Education in his key note address delivered in a seminar on ‘Environmental Implications of Hazardous Heavy Metals and improper Waste Management’ organized by Environ Solutions on Wednesday, the 24^th August at DWFC Conference Hall. Dr.K.Govindaraju further said, “The unique feature of the program Environment Awareness should be accounting for its success is its delivery strategies, which include a focus on partnerships between schools and facilities, on pupils as action-oriented adolescents and a shared goal to encourage energy savings and conservation with focused themes such as: Energy - efficiency in how we use electricity, gas and oil, Waste - recycling is good, reduction is great, Water - identify waste and act on it. The schools are to address these themes as the greatest opportunity to develop students and staff as environmental stewards. Turning off lights and computers and reducing waste have a huge impact on the environment.  Students, teachers’ facilities managers, administrators need to get involved with the Environmental Education and awareness building for the school and their respective village communities. The schools are to develop, coordinate and conducta number of educational programmes for school children, in both formal and non-formal streams of education. To this end, on the one hand, it trains teachers, develops materials for Environment Awareness, and assists other groups in developing such materials. On the other hand, it endeavours to bring a hands-on, field-based, dimension to school education through opportunities offered by governmental and non-governmental initiatives such as the National Green Corps, eco-clubs, camping, education in and around Protected Areas, etc.Effective implementation of environmental management and conservation programmes depends on education, awareness raising and training in the relevant areas. The 'Environmental Education, Awareness and Training' is an important scheme for enhancing the understanding of people at all levels about the relationship between human beings and the environment and to develop capabilities/skills to improve and protect the environment’”. Earlier Dr.Arun Senthil Ram, Director-Environ solutions enlightened the seminar the seminar theme.Shri.R.Ramachandran, Member Secreatay,Tamilnadu Pollution control Board delivered the inaugural address of the seminar and said the electronic waste is major hazard and it should be tackled carefully. Shri.R.Ramachandran, said “Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation's waste stream”. -Govin