Briefly explain the evolution of
Environmental education as a new disciplane
.............as a new
disciplane
Answers
Environmental education is the systematic study of the natural and man-made world. It has emerged as a major discipline in recent years, reflecting our growing concern about the impact of human activity on the natural word. The environment may be conceptualised as being composed of a number of interconnected processes and phenomena. These include the formation of rocks, the climate systems, the cycling of biologically important elements, and the interaction between organisms and their surroundings. The question that arises here is, is it a discipline or a composite of many disciplines? Or could it be the medium for the teaching-learning process of existing disciplines? The habitat is where any animal species finds conditions that permit it to thrive and learning is a vital faculty of all animal species. Animals learn about the features of their own habitat by picking up clues as to where they may expect to find food or meet social companions or encounter enemies. For our ancestors, knowledge began with the exploration of their habitat. But as human beings' control over the environment has increased, and as people have begun to mould the world more and more to suit their needs, this component of knowledge has diminished so much that today formal education has become largely alienated from the habitat of the students. But as environmental degradation proceeds at an unprecedented pace, we are beginning to realise the importance of taking good care of our habitat. Humankind must, therefore, make an attempt to comprehend its roots, to re-establish links with its habitat, and to understand and take good care of it. In substance and spirit, the theme of 'Habitat and Learning' is equivalent to environmental education. These significant concerns are best realised by infusing the components of environmental education as part of different disciplines while ensuring that adequate time is earmarked for pertinent activities. This approach can be meaningfully employed in the treatment of content in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, Political Science, Health and Physical Education, Art, Music etc.
In part, environmental education involves the identification, measurement and classification of these processes and phenomena. Importantly, it also encompasses our attempts to rationalise their existence and to predict how they will alter in the future.
Environmental education is of importance not only because it informs us about the world in which we live but also because it enables us to address more effectively many of the pressing issues that confront the modern world. For this reason, environmental education is increasingly seen as a vital tool in establishing the ground rules by which the environment could be more effectively managed in the future. Environmental education has the task of addressing an extremely wide ranging and bewildering array of content. This is a dynamic, ever changing content, characterized by highly complex inter-relationships, priority problems, causes, impacts and solutions. The knowledge base of environmental education is made all the more difficult to comprehend because the human race often simply cannot understand environmental issues or their potential resolutions in any definitive or permanent way. It is a highly value laden content, and one person’s solution may be another’s catastrophe. It is a content that incorporates aesthetic, spiritual, social, political and economic dimensions alongside (not separate from) the purely scientific dimension. Furthermore, it is a content that does not and should not focus solely on environmental disasters and negative issues. Environmental education is not simply about ‘saving the whale’ or indeed ‘saving the world’. It is equally about the development of an appreciation of the wonders and beauty of the world and of a sense of wanting to save it. In short, it is about the development of an environmental ethic.
That is why education about the environment, through the environment and for environmental protection will make an individual realize his/her responsibility towards the total environment. Environmental protection has been included as one of the ten common core components of the curriculum for all stages of school education in India under the National Policy on Education - 1986 (Revised 1992). This policy says that “There is a permanent need to create a consciousness of the environment. It must permeate all ages and all sections of society, beginning with the child. Environmental consciousness should inform teaching in schools and colleges. This aspect will be integrated in the entire educational process.” It talks about values as well as all those who are related to the environment or interact with it in any particular way. It will serve the purpose not only of having knowledge about the environment but also the purpose of the development of positive attitude and love towards the environment.