© Kamla-Raj 2009 J Hum Ecol, 28(1): 15-36 (2009)

Environmental Education in Schools: The Indian Scenario

C.J. Sonowal

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Sion-Trombay Road, Deonar, Mumbai 400 088,Maharashtra, India

Telephone: 022-27550773, E-mail: chunuda@yahoo.com

KEYWORDS Environmental Education. Locale-specific. Infusion. Balwadi

ABSTRACT Environmental education (EE) has been introduced as a regular course in formal school educationsystem in India following the directive of the Honourable Supreme Court of India. Prior to this directive severalprogrammes were current in the country related to EE in schools and communities. One of such programmes was thecentrally sponsored scheme “Environmental Orientation to School Education (EOSE)”. Through this programme itwas expected to orient school children to its immediate environment using locale-specific examples and materials. Todo so a range of activities were initiated including production of locale-specific print materials, training modules,practical activities and so on. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India had appointed threeNodal Agencies to implement the Scheme. The present writing is the product of an evaluation study of this Schemewhich was conducted by the author in the year 2000.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Environmental Education Defined

Environment, as an interactive entity, couldbe cited as the other side of life in the sense thatthe very basic support system for life is providedby environment only, in one way or the other.Thus, considering the fast deterioratingenvironmental condition, it becomes necessaryto make Environmental Education (EE) as a toolfor life and learning right from one’s childhood.In this light EE can be defined as a process ofdeveloping a world population that is aware of,and concerned about, the total environment andits associated problems and which has theknowledge, attitudes, commitments and skillsto work individually and collectively towardsthe situation of current problems and preventionof new ones.

Environmental concerns began to emerge inits present form due to the enormoustechnological growth and it application resultingin a drastic transformation of the environmentalsituation. Kirk (1985) described the nature studymovements into some overlapping phases from1860 onwards.

The organized global efforts started with theFirst United Nations Conference on HumanEnvironment opened at Stockholm in June 1972.Consequently, United Nations EnvironmentalProgramme (UNEP) was formed and InternationalProgramme in Environmental Education (IEEP)

was launched by UNESCO and UNEP in January1975. Environmental Education became centre offocus of environmental and educationalmovement after the Inter-GovernmentalConference on Environmental Education held atTbilis in 1977. The world conservation strategy(1980) was drawn up by the IUCN, UNEP and theWWF in collaboration with UNESCO and FAO.Another important document ‘North-South – AProgramme for Survival” The Report of theIndependent Commission on InternationalDevelopment Issues (Brundtland 1987) had greatimpact on environmental Education globally.

The Agenda 21, the report of the UnitedNations Conference on Environment andDevelopment (UNCED) held in Rio-de-Janeiro,Brazil (1992) calls upon the member states to raisepublic awareness and intensify education andtraining related to environment and development.

In India, taking initiative from Stockholmsummit 1972, it incorporated environmentalconcern in the constitution through 42nd

Amendment in 1976. Environment has become apriority in policy statements, Planes and Strategiesespecially after 1980 with the establishment of afull fledged Ministry of Environment and forests.Increasing concern on Environmental Education(EE) in India gained its momentum while itsimportance was recognized by the Governmentand policy was planned subsequently tointroduce EE in schools. It is by now every one’sgeneral perception, rightly that, increasingpopulation, unplanned growth of urban areas, ill

16 C.J. SONOWAL

planned industrialization and misconceiveddevelopment paradigm have given rise to thecontemporary environmental crisis world over.

As most of the environmental problems aredevelopment induced as well as unavoidableconsequences of livelihood extraction, a lot ofphenomena are quite contradictory to the EE weimpart in schools. There are certain situations towhich we just cannot say “no” instead of the factthat though we know the potential harmful effectof the activity. Thus, a new paradigm ofdevelopment and environment has to be the orderof the day.

Environmental education in one or the otherform was existed in school curriculum prior to theHonourable Supreme Court of India’s directiveon 18th December, 2003, to impart EE in educationalinstitutes as a compulsory subject. But the wayof imparting EE in school was not similarthroughout the country and there was no definitestandard too. So far no agreement had beenarrived at as how to impart EE in regular schoolcurriculum. Several discussions and suggestionshad been forwarded, but no general consensushad derived at. Except for the schools in Uttara-khand where EE was included as one of the regularsubjects up to class VIII, no other schools in thecountry had found a suitable place for regular EEcourse. Question still persisted whether EE couldbe introduced as a separate subject or be infusedin curricula through certain chapters in otherrelevant subjects.

A serious thought about EE in schools startedafter the National Council of Education Researchand Training (NCERT) circulated its DiscussionDocument (2000) inviting comments fromconcerned agencies. It was revealed that thedocument was miserably lacking environmentalconcern at school curricula. Towards the end ofthe last century four major reviews of EE in thecountry were published by Centre forEnvironment Education (CEE 1998), C.P.R.Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC 1999),Prativesh (1999) and Gill and Lahiry (1999). TheNational Curriculum for Elementary andSecondary Education — A Framework formulatedin 1988 (NCERT; 1988) marked the first concertedand systematic effort to bring EE into the schoolcurriculum. This took an “infusion” ofenvironmental concerns and a whole range ofenvironmental concerns were infused into theNCERT model test books published between 1987and 1989 (NCERT 1987-89)

The problem of incoherence and confusioncaused by such infusion was pointed out byKrishna Kumar in 1986 itself (Kumar 1996a, b).Pande (2000) in his critical assessment of NCERTbooks cited several examples of presence of suchproblems. For instance, the statement about theproblems of pesticide use written in the text booksof various standards, give different ideas atdifferent time periods. Thus the author feels thatthe environmental science teaching is notcomplete. He professed for a holistic view of EEteaching. Referring to Gordon (1995) the authorsuggests that we need to teach ‘new’ or‘ecological’ science if incoherence in thecurriculum to be avoided. The author has alsopointed out that in contemporary text books thesocio-economic explanation of environmentaldegradation has not been addressed properly.

Contemporary science is depicted in schooltext books that emphasize the technologicalachievements as the best way for material comfortsto mankind and disregards traditional knowledgeas ‘wrong’ ‘peculiar’ and unenlightened (NCERT1987-89). But it is reality that the very technologyis causing environmental problems worldwide.Thus it can be said that the EE in school educationis lacking the logical concept, knowledge, and skillthat are needed to deal with the environmentalproblems. Instead, the introduction to EE in theoverall curricula created incoherence in the overallcurricula. Thus, formulating an Indian environ-mentalism was a large undertaking. The country’smain environmental problems might be groupedunder four heads, viz, land degradation, degra-dation of forest, pollution of soil, water and air andthe cluttering and fouling of landscape. Butintroducing students to bigger and wider issuesof a wider territory it is logical and beneficial tointroduce children to local eco-system. Advocatingon to this idea Pande (2000) emphasizes that unlessproblems are adequately defined and solved at thelocal levels they will never be adequately definedand solved at national or global levels. But localspecific environmental problem is not easy toconceptualize objectively. These may be drivenby their special socioeconomic group interest andalso for some can be their school text books andmedia exposure.

A thorough and continuous intervention isneeded to document such problems and needs.Guha (2000) in his incisive global history ofenvironmentalism delineates that central to everyenvironmental problem in our country is a massive

17ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

human livelihood issue. But according to him ourenvironmental perceptions are largely determinedby Euro-American perceptions and this is thebiggest barrier to effective EE in our country. So,he emphasizes that if the environmentaleducationists begin to listen to the authentic voiceof the poor, the displaced and the discriminatedagainst, can we hope to create more effective EE.Effective EE can also equip people to revive andregenerate their local environment and nature. Lackof insight into the cause-effect relation ofenvironmental degradation in a specific locality,results in to ‘ecological poverty’ (Agarwal 1998;Sri Madhava Ashis 1978, 1979; Jackson 2000).Owing to such ecological poverty the peoplebecome ecological refugees or eco-systemrefugees (Gadgil and Guha 1995) when they feelthat their land cannot provide the required materialsfor livelihood and migrates to other locality.

In complete contrast to this phenomenon, thereare examples of many rural people in the countrycorrectly diagnosing their environmental ills andseeking to cure them on their own. In the non-green revolution areas of the country women aregenerally taking the lead because they understandbetter than men that their main problem is ecologicalpoverty, and are focusing their attention on therehabilitation of village forest through communityaction. On the other hand, in the green revolutionareas individual families are pioneering organicfarming on cultivated land badly damaged bychemicals (Bhatt, 1992; Alvares 1996).

The views and opinions of concerned peoplelike educationist, environmentalist and policyplanners hitherto current cited here for this purpose.1. There is need to channelise EE in school from

very immediate environmental elements tonational and global environmental issues asthe child grows.

2. There must be logical inclusion of locale-specificmaterials in EE considering its relevance incontemporary value system prevailing insociety. Like wise, the very term “Local” mustbe defined logically as well as empirically.

3. Investigation, experimentation and analysisthrough discussion should be the way ofimparting EE in schools. This may be quiteeasy if locale-specific examples are includedprecisely.

4. EE should be aimed at developing a child’sperception with values about its surroundingenvironment.

5. While “infusion” is accepted as one of the

methods of imparting EE in schools, it alsogives rise to a problem of incoherence. Themajor need in this process is to harmonize thecontent of EE and contemporary develop-mental paradigm. There also appears to beparadigm contradiction between EE andcontemporary science subject.

6. It was also felt that as far as possible thecontradictory circumstances faced bystudents regarding school experience and reallife experience in environment related issuesshould be reduced. The social-political-economic determinants of environmentalproblems must be discussed unambiguouslywith students so as to make them have clearideas about social situation.

7. While locale-specific courses are taught in EE,it must not ignore other concerns existed inregular textbooks. Thus while a separatecourse on locale-specific EE is imparted, the“infusion” technique will do further justice tothe course.

8. The most basic requirement of all these processis motivating teachers for EE as a central focusand to equip them with all sorts of skills andresources. The acceptance of EE must beuniversal and this can be done by empoweringand including local communities to take part inEE activities. A holistic approach with a logicallyand empirically balanced strategy would be ableto bring desired result to us.While such concerns were taking a shape of

universal consensus the Supreme Court’s directivemade it imperative to formulate compulsory courseson EE in school. At this backdrop it was felt that adetailed delineation of the working of a nationwideEE programme current prior to this directive wouldhelp concerned people in the country to criticallyexamine and evaluate the present form of EEsyllabus and pattern of working to achieve its goal.

The delineation here is the outcome of anevaluation study of centrally sponsored progra-mme called “Environmental Orientation to SchoolEducation (EOSE)” sponsored by the MHRD,Govt. of India, Department of Education. Thestudy was done in the year 2000.

1.2 Background of Initiating EE in Schoolsthrough EOSE

Generally, within a state, regional variation inenvironmental conditions and concerns are notconsidered to include separately in the State

18 C.J. SONOWAL

textbooks. Therefore, to make environmentaleducation meaningful to the school levelstudents throughout the country it was desirableto supplement the effort at national and state levelby a more intensive locale-specific effort. Thevery background of the EOSE scheme lies withthis requirement aiming at harmonizing theenvironmental education with localenvironmental situations.

1.2.1 The Scheme was Based on theFollowing Perceptions:1) A compact area having uniform eco-system

would have similar environmental concernsand therefore, can form the unit for designingone set of programs for implementation inschools and the community in that area.

2) The basic components for identification of aspecific area are geological formation andfeatures, crops grown, rainfall and plant life.

3) The success of the programme would largelydepend on the involvement of and interestcreated among the teachers, students,educationists, voluntary agencies, environ-mental experts and the local communities.1.2.2 Scheduled Project Activities under the

Scheme: On the basis of these goals three nodalagencies namely, - Centre for EnvironmentEducation (CEE) at Ahmedabad, CPR Environ-ment Education at Chennai and Uttarakhand SevaNidhi at Almora were appointed by the Ministry.These nodal agencies were given the responsi-bility to plan and implement strategies for envi-ronmental education in schools involving otherstate government agencies as well as NGOsworking in this sphere.

These nodal agencies and some otherindependent NGOs involved in this scheme werevisited for the evaluation of the scheme activities.A brief of important finding and observationsrelevant to the paper has been depicted as follows.

2. IMPARTING EE IN SCHOOLS BY CEE

2.1 The Workings of the Centre for EnvironmentEducation (CEE)

School programme is one of the major progra-mmes of CEE since its inception. CEE develops,coordinates and conducts number of educationalprogrammes for school children which involvethe training of teachers and the development ofeducational materials as well as assistance in thedevelopment of such materials by other groups.

In order to facilitate the instructional processin the class room, the CEE has developededucational packages for teachers based onenvironmental themes. These are designed tohelp teachers get an understanding of a wide rangeof instructional activities and approaches for thepromotion of environmental education inschools.

CEE plans and coordinates a countrywideteacher training programme supported by theMinistry of Environment and Forest, Governmentof India. CEE also trains resource persons who,in collaboration with local NGOs and StateDepartments of Education (SDEs), take up theresponsibility of training teachers in their region.

A major thrust of this programme in the pastfew years has been the establishment andstrengthening of linkages between NGOs, SDEsand Schools. EE activities in schools are thusorganized through a network of teachers, NGOsand SDEs and training individuals.

Since 1991, this has taken the forum of the“Cluster Approach”. An NGO and associated 20-25 schools in geographically contiguous area forma “Cluster”. Each cluster is an autonomous unit.The cluster approach is based on the principle ofnetworking and horizontal communication withtraining, material and monetary resourcesprovided by CEE. The NGO provides the schoolsmaterial as well as technical support to performEE activities more efficiently.

In view of the fact that children understandand appreciate environmental concern better iftheir concerns are related to their immediatecontext, CEE focuses on the development oflocale-specific programmes and materials. CEE hasintegrated most of its school initiatives in to anumbrella programme called the NationalEnvironmental Education Programme for Schools(NEEPS). The programme is envisaged as anationwide network which will facilitate greaterinteraction among related school programmes.Programmes under NEEPS are supported by theMoEF, MHRD and other agencies. The NEEPSNetwork consists of the NEEPS Secretariat, at theCEE office at Ahmedabad, the Regional Desksituated at Lucknow, Guwahati, Pune, Bangalore,Ahmedabad and the associated schools all overthe country.

Till the year 2000, the CEE has sanctioned 99projects on various fields to its associated NGOSfor the purpose of Environmental Education.Table 1 shows the distribution of projects among

19ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

the different regional desks of CEE. The SouthDesk has been awarded the highest number ofprojects (28%) whereas the NE Desk has beenawarded only 5% of the total projects.

Table 2 shows some more informationregarding the projects offered. The entire projectshas been categorized into six categories namelyadaptation, local-specific print, capacity building,audio-visuals, training and multi-approach. Asthe table indicates local-specific print materialsshares the highest number of projects followedby capacity building approach and adaptation.Like wise, in expenditure pattern 46 percent ofthe allotted funds were for the projects related tolocal-specific print material production followedby adaptation and capacity building. Barringcentral desk, all other regional desk has givenmore stress on local-specific production whereasthe central desk has given more stress on capacitybuilding projects.

Data collected from the organizations showedthat the projects were targeted for differentgroups, namely- teacher, educators and thestudents. On the basis of this the projects weregrouped in to three broad categores. Projectsmeant for teacher-educators where the studentscan not take part, the next one comprises theprojects meant for both teachers and thestudents, and the third category meant for thestudents only. It was found that the majority ofthe projects (42%) were meant for teacher-educators. Another 35 percents were meant forthe teacher-students combined, and the least 23

percent were meant basically for the studentsgroups.

It was found that the CEE Secretariat decen-tralizes its activities through its six regional Desks.These Regional Desks have direct contact withNGOs of its respective localities. To assess theactivities and achievements these centers werevisited. The following part delineates the same:

2.2 Activities of CEE South Regional Desk

The South Regional Desk of CEE wasestablished in 1988 at Bangalore. It caters to theEE needs of the States namely Andhra Pradesh,Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. It also coversPondicherry and Andaman and Nicobar Island. Ithas one state office in Andhra Pradesh and threefield offices one each at Kodagu, Gulbarga andTirpur.

2.2.1 The Objective of CEE South★ To faci-litate effective coordination, moni-

toring and follow-up of regional programmesin environ-mental education and

★ To identify the environmental issues in theSouth region and develop programmes/projects based on these issues.2.2.2 Analysis of Projects Conducted: The

centre has done 27 projects, 8 each in AndhraPradesh and Tamil Nadu, 5 each in Kerala andKarnataka and one in Andaman.The centre hasdeveloped 33 materials consisting of localespecific print materials as well as adapted andtranslated materials meant for EE in schools. Thesematerials were developed in different languagesto circulate in south Indian states namelyKannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and English.

Some of the NGOs under South Regional Deskwere conducted in this regards. The activitieisand achievements of the NGOs were enumeratedcarefully and documented accordingly. Some ofthe basic findings are delineated here.

For instance the Chatnath Education Trust,Chennai, received a one-time grant to conduct a

Table 1: Distribution of projects among regionaldesks

Centre P.C. of Projects

CEE A’bd 16CEE South 28CEE North 16CEE East 16CEE NE 5CEE Central 19

Total 99

Types of projects No. of P.C. of Regional desk activities in %projects expenditure North South East Central

Adaptation 15 21 13 18 13 11Local-specific print 45 46 30 43 69 37Capacity building 17 13 25 21 6 47Audio-visual 9 9 13 11 6Training 4 1 19Multi-approach 10 10 21 6 5

Table 2: Basic aspects of projects implemented

20 C.J. SONOWAL

project titled “Preparation of Educational Packageon Solid Waste Management throughEnvironmental Education in School”. Theobjective of the study was to:★ Help create awareness among children, of how

solid wastes were produced, disposed anddifferent types of wastes with specialreference to Chennai City and sub-urbanareas.

★ Enable them to understand the ill effects ofsolid wastes and environmental degradationdue to solid wastes.

★ To motivate them to consider segregation andrecycling methods for clearing solid wastesand to help them minimizing their own solidwaste production.It was observed that the project covered

students and teachers from 30 schools of Chennaiand its sub-urban while in action. The productreceived wide acceptance in other schools andareas in Chennai. The material seemed to besustainable for EE and could be extended to otherparts of the country as a tool for “model activity”having the similar environment. Needless to saythat considering the non-availability ofinfrastructure facilities in all schools, the role ofthe NGO is still important to disseminate theseknowledge base to the target groups.

SRAVANTI Association, Rajahmundry,Andhra Pradesh is a registered societyestablished in 1992. The organization has takenup a project under EOSE titled “EnvironmentalAwareness Campaign among the School Childrentowards Conservation of Mangroves”. The areascovered by this project were the fringe villagesof Coring Wildlife Sanctuary and the project wassanctioned in the year 1999 for one year duration.The objectives of the project were:★ Addressing the problem through an educa-

tional programme regarding degradation ofmangroves due to shrimp culture and fire-wood collection.

★ To make an in-depth survey and preparing astatus report on mangroves; development ofa booklet in Telugu: training and orientationto students on the conservation of mangro-ves and marine ecology and formation of taskforce, to involve students in conservationactivities.The outcome of the project was a booklet in

Telugu titled “ Kosthatheera ParyavaranaParirakshanalo: Mada Adavula Paathra -Mana Badhyatha”. It was observed that 1000

copies of the material were published and weredistributed among the teachers, students andNGO personnel in the fringe villages of CoringaWildlife Sanctuary.

Besides these the centre has developedsufficient number of quality EE materials usingremarkably smaller amount of money. The NGOsselected by the centre were quite efficient andsuccessful in bringing the issues meaningfullyto the front. The network of the centre with theNGOs is seen strong and co-operative.

After careful observation it was found thatthere is necessity to spread its action and networkfurther to a wider range involving more able NGOsand concerned Government agencies. The centremight take direct responsibility to monitor theutilisation of its valuable materials in schools. Thelimited existing cluster NGOs till now were quite asmall in number of agents to bring the desiredresult in EE in schools.

2.4 Activities of CEE Central Regional Desk

The Regional office of the Central Desk ofCEE is situated in Pune. A total of 19 projectshave so far been conducted under the CentralRegional Desk either through other NGOs or bythe CEE Central desk itself. Among these projects2 projects were meant for adaptation and translationof existing EE materials published by CEEAhmedabad, 9 projects were meant for capacitybuilding among the target groups, 7 projects weremeant for development and inclusion of locale-specific examples in EE and one project was multi-approach in nature. Some NGOs working inassistance with the CEE Central Desk wereconducted for the study. Some of the importantfindings have been cited for reference here.

2.4.1 The Bal Mandir Sanstha (BMS): Thisundertook two projects covering 30 and 62schools. The organization’s first experiment wasto implement an innovative scheme of collectionand separation of dry and wet garbage in a colonyfor a year. It achieved the objective of makingcommunity aware of the problem of garbagedisposal and diseases associated with garbagedisposal.

Through EOSE projects the BMS tried toreach the municipal schools, covering class I toClass V, in the villages of Nagpur district. Afterthe selection of the schools with the help of BlockEducation Officer, one teacher per school wascalled for a 7 days workshop on environmental

21ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

education. The content of the training was toshow how to impart environmental education tothe students during classes. A careful observationand interaction with the students as well as localcommunities revealed that the teachers-educatorsas well as the students were not fully successfulto take the knowledge gained through EE to thecommunities. The much-emphasized Solar-cookers, meant for environment friendly life style,turned out to be a failure as few could sit andchange the direction of the solar-cookers towardsthe sun. Beside that it was a time consumingexercise, not suitable for the poor and marginalvillage people who had to go out for daily work.

The immediate environmental problems werehardly touched upon and people were notmeaningfully incorporated in to the programme. Thiscould be proved while it was reported that most ofthe trees planted were uprooted by the local peopleand only a few survived. It had also been observedthat most of the Sanitation programme remainedwithin the school premises and several of them werewashed out during rainy season. As locale-specificissues the teachers were imparting few ideas ongarbage disposal and management. Water crisis,water pollution and disease were the two primaryissues the teachers were concerned with. It wasseen that practical and demonstration is very muchlacking in most of the schools.

2.4.2 Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society,Nagpur (VNCS): The organization was workingin 52 villages of Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia,Bhandara and Nagpur district. Here, they hadformed ‘Tarun Paryavaranwadi Mandal’(groups of youth in villages) to execute field workwhich included local environmental Planning andManagement, sustainable use of Non-TimberForest Produce and livelihood issues, soil andmoisture conservation, Bio-diversity conserva-tion and sustainable Agriculture and InformalEnvironmental Education Research and Trainingfor the youth and other stakeholders. Besides,they were also working in the area of Joint ForestManagement and the concept of Adarsh gaon invillage Walni of Nagpur District.

VNCS collaborated with CEE on environmenteducation (EE) for the year 2000-2001 under theproject title “Reaching the Village Community ofPench National Park through Schools”. In theprogramme the organization selected 12 schoolsnear Pench National Park.

It was reported that various programmes wereheld in the schools to impart environmental

education to students. Through nature games,nature trails and classes on bio-diversity, studentswere told about their local environment and infew cases students themselves planted trees inthe vicinity of their houses. Stress was also puton wildlife conservation and restoration, espe-cially of birds.

Various programmes were conducted in differentschools and care was taken to induce localenvironmental problem in education. For example inHiwara Bazar, bird trade was in vogue among thelocal people. The organization has taken up the issueand an awareness camp was organized.

The concerned teachers’ opinion was thatexcept in few cases the community participationwas very less in the programme. Thus theexposure visits were not satisfactory. There waslack of integrated approach for improvement ofenvironment in terms of afforestation and waterconservation and management of grazing lands.A few direct positive impacts of these activitiescould be mentioned as follows:i) 100% stoppage of open bird trades in Hiwara

Bazar.ii) Plantation in school and within the premises

of houses with follow-up activities.iii) Increased attendance in schools due to EE.iv) Use of latrines by local people to some extent.v) Formation of nature clubs of youths through

which environmental awareness had beeninduced among the local communities.

vi) More numbers of local people turned upduring teachers-parents meeting and interestwas expressed about the importance ofhealthy environment.

Certain problems had been traced out by theorganization as well as the evaluator which couldbe summarized as follows:i) The extent of interest showed by the teachers

and the headmasters of the concerned schoolsfor EE in school was not very promising. Manya time they were not wholeheartedly ready togo beyond regular class schedules due to someconstraints or so.

ii) The teachers could not participate voluntarilyin the programme. Thus for participation ofteachers the help of BDO of BEO was requiredand this was done by issuing letters to theschool and concerned teachers through them.This sort of administrative work took time.

iii) As there was no specific schedule in regularcourse for EE, the teachers found it difficultto adjust the EE activities within it. The

22 C.J. SONOWAL

pressure for completing the regular coursewas immense and teachers were hard pressedto include EE in education.

iv) It was opined by the organization that one-year scheme of EOSE in one organization wasnot sufficient to bring the desired results. Itcould be for a longer duration and there mightbe assurance of sustainability.

v) It was also felt that there was need for all theNGO’s under EOSE to exchange ideas relatedto EE in schools after a year or at a regularinterval to learn from each other.

2.5 Utilization of EE Materials in NEEP

The CEE Central office was visited and theprint materials were seen and related aspectsregarding the utilization, disbursement etc werediscussed in detail. It was needless to say thatmaterials developed by CEE were products oflong standing discussion, review, disseminationand integration. But the extent of utilization ofthese books was not known.

National Environmental Education Programme(NEEP) is a centrally sponsored programmethrough which a cluster of NGOs operate inschools across the country to disseminate theEE materials. Though NEEP did not come underthe purview of EOSE, a few clusters NGOs wereconducted to assess the utilization of EE materialsproduced using EOSE funds. After visiting theorganizations it was found that the programmewas not evenly successful in all places. Theunderlying facts were as follows:a) The Grants under NEEP was not continuous

and without a proper supervision by adedicated organization success in EEactivities were a remote hope.

b) Low rate of participation of teachers in NEEPactivities.

c) Activities performed during the phase werenot followed up later.

d) The surrounding Communities and feltenvironmental needs were not brought withinthe purview of EE.

e) Several teachers who were part of EE gottransferred affecting the follow-up activitiesof the knowledge acquired for future course.

2.6 Conclusion on finding

i) The CEE central seems to be not directlyinvolved in the performance of EE programme

at schools. This is evident while they opinedthat they were not concerned about the fateof the EE materials produce under EOSE onceit was disbursed.

ii) The NGOs selected for the study were foundto be dedicated to their objectives set bythemselves. There is no doubt about theircommittment level. But there were certainstrategic points to be considered.

2.7 Activities of CEE East Regional Desk

CEE’s East Regional Desk had its working areain the states of Orissa and West Bengal. Underthe jurisdiction of CEE East Cell 16 projects hadbeen undertaken by different voluntary agencies.

2.7.1 Workings of Cluster NGOs Implement-ing NEEP Activities: To assess the nature andextent of utilization of EE materials produced bydifferent organizations using the grants underEOSE scheme a few cluster organizations wereconducted under the jurisdiction of CEE East Cell.It was also worth-mentioning that some of thecluster NGOs was also receiving grants underEOSE to develop EE materials. In a cluster, anNGO works with 20-25 schools. CEE, Ahmedabadprovides training, guidance and resource materialsupport to the NGOs. In each cluster, one of theschools was made the Environmental EducationResource Centre (EERC). The NGOs conductedfor the study were:i) Kolaghat Science and Hobby Centre,

Midna-pur, West Bengalii) Bhalugudi Environmental Integration

Project, Jairat, Orissaiii) Institute for Youth and Disaster Prepared-

ness, Khurda, Orissaiv) Pragati Pathagara, Ganjam, Orissav) Orissa Environmental Consciousness Socie-

ty, Burla, Orissavi) Himalayan Nature and Adventure Founda-

tion, Siligurivii) ATREE: Eastern Himalayan Programmeviii) Rural Research and Development Organiza-

tion, Karanjia, MayurbhanjThe following organizations were cluster

organization and also utilizing EOSE grants todevelop EE materials.i) Jalpaiguri Science and Nature Club,

Jalpaiguri, West Bengalii) Manav Adhikar Sewa Samiti, Sambalpur,

Orissaiii) Centre for Awakening of Rural Environment,

Ganjam, Orissa (CARE)

23ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

iv) Khuntia Institute of Social Sciences (KISS),Kamakhyanagar, Dhenkanal district, Orissa:

The summery of the feedback given by theparticipating NGOs regarding EE in schools wereas follows:★ Lack of Locale-specific Materials in the

EERC: the teacher-in-charge of EERCmentioned that of the materials in the EERC,locale-specific materials were dismal whichcould otherwise have helped them toconduct the EE activities more effectively.

★ Lack of Co-operation from the StateGovernments: Both the NGOs and theteachers mentioned about lack of supportfrom the local governments.

★ Unavailability of Teachers for EE Activities:Teachers involved in the EE activities wereengaged in other government duties likecompiling of voters’ list, BPL study andexamination duties. Due to this reason fewNGOs were not able to conduct TeacherTraining Workshops. This showed the lackof proper co-ordination and understandingof importance of EE in schools.

★ Lack of Funding: Lack of funding parti-cularly for the monitoring purpose restrictedthe NGOs visit to only two to three times perschool till then, as mentioned by most of theNGOs. Most of the schools were situated inremote areas and were widely dispersedmaking the task more difficult

For an in-depth study, few schools in thecluster system under NEEP scheme within thepurview of KISS were conducted. The questionsasked and the answers received from them arepresented in a tabular form as follows (Table 3):

The content in the table above distinctlyrevealed that the EE materials produced by KISShad been distributed among the schools and theteachers concerned were utilizing them and alsomost them were finding it innovative and helpfulin understanding and managing a part ofenvironment related issues. The comments ofschool teachers highlighted the shortage of EEmaterials of varied interests. They also highlightthe administrative loopholes. It was felt that morestress should be put on teachers’ training andmonitoring. There might be well integratedapproach between able NGOs and state educationdepartments which is very much lacking atpresent. Needless to say that the infrastructuresof schools in those areas were very poor andfund allocation for outdoor activities is almost

none. Under such circumstances the sustain-ability of meaningful programme became doubtful.The government departments and NGOs mightsort out such problems to continue EE programmefor a better future.

2.8 Activities of CEE North Regional Desk

CEE’s North Regional Desk covered ageographical area including the state of UttarPradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Hariyana,Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand andChandigarh. The cell had been involved in EOSEactivities since the year 1989. It had undertakenseveral projects on EE development itself and alsoassisted some voluntary agencies financially totake up EE activities in concerned areas of interest.

Besides EOSE scheme, the organization wasalso involved in establishing Eco-Clubs. Till dateit had some 36 eco-clubs in Lucknow, 25 inChandigarh and 35 in Bihar.

The adapted and translated books weredisseminated through workshops and trainingprogrammes. It had been reported that thosebooks were well received among the teachers andvarious organizations working in the area ofenvironmental education. As a move toincorporate locale specific issues the Organizationhad translated and adapted “Joy of Learning”into Hindi and Punjabi and 2000 copies wereprinted for the first time. Some 13 NGOs wereinvolved with CEE to impart EE in schools. EachNGO had 20 schools within their ambit. Underthe framework of “associated NGOs” the CEE wasallowing interested NGOs to attend workshopsand training programmes and they were providedwith resource materials. But, these organizationswere not financially supported by CEE for EE inschools.

A few NGOs receiving financial assistancethrough the Regional Desks were conducted forthe assessment. These werei) The Purvanchal Gramin Vikas Sanstha,

Lucknow, andii) Jagriti, Lucknow,iii) Dr. Divya Smarak Mahila Shiksha Evam

Prashikshan Samiti, Lucknow:After discussion with the concerned teachers

and the NGOs it was found that there is a lot todo for a sustainable and meaningful EE in schools.Some of the widely spoken problems were asfollows:★ The School Principals were found to be half-

24 C.J. SONOWAL

hearted cooperative sending differentteachers for two different programmes whichwere basically meant for a single teacher. Andfrom the part of the principals it was theadministrative problems of adjustment mainlyrooted in shortage of manpower and lack oftime.

★ As an institutional system the teacherscouldnot be contacted personally for thetraining etc. One had to go through themanagement. This makes process lengthyand uncertain.

★ It was well established that in many a casesthe schemes of EE in schools was not

reaching the government and rural schools.Now, it was basically limited to elite privateschools in cities. In rural and Governmentschools, where the programme had steppedin, transfer of teachers was a major setbackto the continuation and follow-up of theprogramme.

★ It was emphatically expressed by differentNGOs attached with EE programme that thegrants should be made available by themonth of June every year to enable them tomake plan well in advance and make itconvenient for the schools to carry out thescheduled activities well before their

Table 3: Responses of school teachers regarding the EE in schools propagated by KISS

Topic of inquiry Responses of teachers

Any definite course on EE in schools No definite course on EE.Some hints are given in their textbook on Environment only

Usefulness of EE materials produced by KISS 1. It is very useful for the students as they can do some practicalworks like making compost field for demonstration in school

2. It is used as a guide book by teachers. Some students also usethe same book to read.

3. It helps students to identify, classify and to utilize the waste.Usefulness of EE to students 1. Through their observation and activities they are able to

understand the relationship of man with nature.2. students can practically do Environment related work at home3. it is seen among student that they are habitually coming to

school with neat and clean.4. They voluntarily clean the entire school premise.5. They also plant some seasonal plants at their own will.6. They are interest to take part in EE competition

Content of EE in school 1. Soil erosion, Water and Air Pollution2. Environmental awareness among the school students3. Cleanliness and better sanitation for children4. Plantation

Way of using the materials 1. Encourage students to see the books during leisure,2. Inside and outside activities are done with the help of students3. Teachers help them to observe nature4. Arrange different competitions5. Using as teaching materials6. Hanging on the walls of the class rooms7. Using as a guide book by teachers and children

Comments/suggestions 1. EE materials should be sufficient in quality and quantity, andshould be in regional language

2. training should be provided properly and with a regularfrequency.

3. The school syllabus should be made adjustable to include EE inregular classes.

4. There is no fund with school to carry out the programme. Sosome lump-sum amount should be kept for it.

5. Schools should have definite EE course6. Public consciousness is required to save forest and strengthen

it and for growth of population7. A circular is required from the State Education department to

be involved in EE activities like8. Required TA/DA should be provided to the participating

teachers9. Frequent transfer should be stopped

25ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

examination starts. Otherwise, it createsproblems as the time-table of the year getsdisturbed and teachers get less time todevote and provide EE in schools.

3. ACTIVITIES OF THE CPRENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

CENTRE, CHENNAI

3.1 Introduction

The CPR Environmental Education Centre(CPREEC) was appointed as the nodal agencyfor the EOSE Scheme in October 1993. The centrehad a network of several NGOs in the states ofAndhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissaand Pondicherry. It also had programme for NilgiriBio-sphere Reserve and Andaman and NicobarIslands.

Keeping track with the guidelines laid downby the Ministry for the nodal agencies under thisscheme, the EEC had, since then, been performingthe following functions:★ Acting as a nodal agency for the mobilization,

involvement and provision of financialsupport to NGOs for conducting innovativeand experimental programmes in the field ofenvironmental orientation to schooleducation,

★ Acting as a resource centre for the produc-tion of locale-specific resource materials suchas books, workbooks, posters, charts,models, Audio-visuals etc,

★ Conducting specific innovative and experi-mental programmes on environmental conser-vation for schools in specific ecosystemssuch as coastal areas, the Nilgiris etc,

★ Raising school nurseries, running plantationprogrammes, gardens, sustainable techno-logies etc. in and around schools.

To achieve the above goals the CPR EECperformed the following activities:i) organized an initial preliminary meeting for

the participating NGOs,ii) conducted intensive training programmes for

trainers and teachers under the participatingNGOs,

iii) thereafter conducted training programmes ateach NGO venue. Each training programmeincluded audio and video projections, prac-tical sessions of programme planning, resour-ce material development and a field visit,

iv) conducted mid-programme review meets, and

v) evaluated the success of the programme.As a premier Environmental Education Centre,

some of the activities of the organization, asinformed by the concerned personnel, have beendepicted as follows:

The EE activities of the organization couldbroadly be divided in to some activity relatedcategories. Those were (i) training and awarenessprogrammes, (ii) awareness through action, (iii)awareness programmes in ecologically fragile areas,(iv) exhibitions, (v) generation and production ofresource materials, (vi) research projects andsurveys, (vii) EOSE activities, (viii) Courses,seminars, symposia and public meetings etc.

3.2 Training and Awareness Programme

Under this broad category several activitieswere included:★ Video on Wheel programme used a video van

showing posters, screening environmentrelated films to the students as well as to thevillage people of different states, along withdiscussion and meetings. The programmehad covered 8 districts of 5 states in thesouth India.

★ Training programmes were aimed ateducating and sensitizing village youth, localNGOs, teachers and farmers.

Students were integrated into training andeducation through various means like workshop,camps, awareness programme and exhibitions.Networking with Local NGOs also playedimportant role among the EE activities of theorganization. It had a network of nearly 400 NGOsworking in this field covering a geographical areaincluding 6 states in the region.

3.3 Awareness Through Action

Under this broad heading the followingactivities were done:★ Conservation and restoration of Sacred Groves

remained one of the strategies of theorganization in conserving bio-diversity intact.Several in-situ and ex-situ activities were doneby the organization in this regard. Workshopsfor priest groups were also performed by theorganization. The NGOs were also trained toconserve and promote sacred groves,

★ Village programmes were conducted tospread environmental awareness among ruralpeople. Folk lore and folk drama, ventrilo-

26 C.J. SONOWAL

quism and village meetings were some of thepopular means to spread the message topeople,

★ School programmes included Slide shows,distribution of sapling, field visits competitionand prizes,

3.4 Generation and Production of Resourcematerials

The centre worked as resource centre andpublished several EE related materials. Theseincluded EE manuals, books, work books, posters,journal of EE, Eco news and several other resourcematerials.

3.5 Courses, Seminars, Symposia and PublicMeetings etc.

The organization, every year conducts semi-nars, symposia on environmental issues includingthe coastal and forest eco-system, the industrialpollution and water related issues, waste manage-ment etc.

3.6 Number of Projects Conducted

Since 1993 till 2000-2001 the centre had funded125 projects to different NGOs.

3.7 Trainers’ Training Programme

Trainers’ Training programme for the projectcoordinators of the NGOs was conducted eachyear. Some of the major aspects of training were:i) Ecology, environment and developmentii) bio-diversityiii) pollution - prevention and controliv) rural sanitation and control of epidemic

diseasesv) vermicompostingvi) planning for environmental educationvii) incorporation of environmental education in

school curriculumBasically the training module was prepared

keeping in mind the syllabi of standard VI, VIIand VIII.

3.8 Preparation and Distribution of ResourceMaterials

The CPREEC published various books,booklets, posters and also audio visuals on

environment for use by the participating NGOs.Two training kits, three books, four series ofposters and two hand outs were developed bythe CPREEC.

3.9 Teachers’ Training Programme at theProject Areas

A Model Teachers’ Training Programme wasusually conducted by the CPREEC’s staff for theparticipating NGOs at their venues. After that theconcerned NGOs conduct teachers’ training oftheir own. It was observed that usually theindividual NGO targets 5 teachers’ trainingprogrammes each year.

3.10 Innovative Programmes

The participating NGOs were expected to dosome sort of innovative work in EE in schools.Under innovative programme the NGOsperformed Environmental notice board,Exhibition, Computer-aided dissection floppy,Exhibition of reptiles, Exhibition on Wealth fromWaste, Medicinal Garden, establishment ofcultural troupes in schools to promoteenvironmental awareness, Puppetry workshopsfor Environment education, Vermicompostingand Schools gardens, Tree plantation etc.

As a part of innovative programmes the livedemonstration of reptiles were conducted byChennai Snake Park Trust. It was learnt that thesedemonstrations were very effective in eliminatingthe students’ fear and conceived myths aboutthe reptiles. The Blue Cross of India gave outcomputer-aided dissection floppy to schoolshelping avoiding reckless killing of animals formere purpose of study.

3.11 Information from NGOs and Schools

Twelve NGOs working on environmentaleducation programme and utilizing the funds fromEOSE scheme were conducted for data collection.The response of these NGOs incorporated in thispaper. These 12 NGOs were TASA, Indian blue-Cross, SEEDS, SEVA Bharathi, SCHWEP, MotherIndia, Social Service Society for Poor People,Native Medicine and Environmental ProtectionCharitable Trust, Movement, VIDIYAL,CENTREDA and ECHO Trust.

The NGOs’ points of view on environmentalconcern of their area were cited as water crisis,

27ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

tree felling and denudation, air and water pollutionby factories (ground nuts and Brick) soil erosionetc. Most of them pointed out that environmentaldegradation was development induced one. TheNGOs had been using different strategies toinvolve local people to arrest environmentaldegradation and make people aware of it. Specialattention had been paid on safe sanitation,plantation and maintenance, rallies on affora-station and plantation and pollution control etc.Regarding water availability and safe drinkingwater, the NGOs were involved in awarenessbuilding about water pollution, contamination bydifferent means, water conservation andmanagement. The NGOs mentions that due torapid growth of industries, vehicular traffic airand water bodies were getting contaminated.Chemical use in agro and other industries leadingto contamination of ground water bodies.

The most common constraints faced by theNGOs in imparting environmental education inschools was the non receipt of timely permissionfrom education department for teacher trainingand environmental education activities. For some,it was the lack of proper infrastructure andequipments.

Some schools were conducted for data onimpact and implementation of environmentaleducation in schools under EOSE scheme. It wasfound that the immediate environmental problemsand issues incorporating in EE classes encom-passes impact of deforestation, desertification,air-pollution, soil erosion, water stagnation, watershortage, industrial wastes and water conta-mination, smoke from fire wood in kitchen etc.

4. ACTIVITIES OF UTTARAKHAND SEVANIDHI UNDER EOSE SCHEME

4.1 Introduction

The Uttarakhand Seva Nidhi was a publiccharitable trust founded in 1967. In 1987 it wasappointed a nodal agency by the Department ofEducation, Ministry of Human ResourceDevelopment, Government of India, to undertakelocale-specific environmental educationprograms both in rural schools and villages inthe hill district of Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand.Subsequently, a research and resource centre, theUttarakhand Environmental Education Centre(UEEC), was set up in 1993. Considering thegrowing nature of activities, a separate organi-

zation, the Uttarakhand Seva Nidhi ParyavaranSiksha Sansthan (USNPSS), a registered society,was set up in 1999 to handle all the environmentalactivities of the Nidhi.

The organization supports the educationalactivities or rural schools, NGOs and communitybased organizations throughout the Uttarakhand.This support takes the form of training programs,discussion meetings, supply of teaching/learningmaterials, village and school visits for on the spotguidance and problem solving, honoraria of pre-school teachers and small project grants.

4.2 The Background of the Activities

The entire area is a fragile ecological zonewhere human activities cause extensive landdegradation in the form of deforestation and soilerosion, if not carried out in an environmentallysound manner which ultimately give rise toproblems like water scarcity, falling crop yield,fuel-wood and fodder scarcity, drudgery forwomen and children, poor nutrition and the forcedmigration for men and young generation foremployment.

Here in Uttarakhand, village forest comprisesa major part of the total village land area, and isshared by the entire community. Livelihoodresources were very much dependent on theseforest lands. As a result of colonial forest policyand now, post independent modernization anddevelopment activities had weakened the villagecommunity in terms of land and forestmanagement, its regeneration and properexploitation. The organization’s aim is to helpvillage communities, particularly the women,organize to tackle the land degradation and theproblems that arise from it.

An environmental education course, focusingon village land rehabilitation and sustainablemanagement, had been designed and introducedinto the regular school curriculum in class 6, 7and 8 with the cooperation of the stateDepartment of Education. The course reflects theenvironmental and livelihood issues that had beenraised by women’s groups in the area. Localcommunity participation in the activities of thecourse is a specific feature. The organization alsotrain the in-service teachers for the course, supplyworkbooks and tools to the students, andundertake school visits to give on the spotguidance and evaluate progress.

28 C.J. SONOWAL

The organization also supports several NGOsto run pre-school centres, the Balwadis, in villagesand also to conduct other related environmentalfriendly activities. Women groups had beenformed under the supervision of the local NGOsand lots of activities related to environmentalissues were in progress in the entire state.

4.3 The General Achievement Trend

A careful observation showed that theUttarakhand Seva Nidhi had been able to registerits achievements in two broad spheres of itsactivities:i) Environmental education in formal school

system as a separate subject, andii) sustainable community participation and

development centering round Environmentaleducation and environmental awarenessactivities.

4.4 The EE Course in Formal Schools

Till the year 2000, the basic activitiesundertaken by the organization are as follows:★ Introduction of Locale-specific curricula in

formal school system★ A holistic approach to environmental

education and awareness building byincorporating the immediate community inevery sphere of its activities.

★ Inclusion of outdoor inquiry-based practicalorientation to environmental education inschools and pre-primary education centersrelevant to the immediate environmentalsituation of the children concerned.

4.4.1 Requirement of Skills in the Course

The course on village ecosystem rehabili-tation and sustainable management required arange of new skills along with a new set ofconcepts. The course content tried to impartthese through the following ways:

a) Methods of Data Collection and Inter-pretation: this includes the application of knownmathematical concepts and operations to a newarea of activity. Data interpretation included anecosystem analysis which was done by quanti-fying the basic components of an ecosystem: theland areas, population size, productivity etc.

b) Accumulation of Ideas about Traditional

Management Practices from Villagers: Theunderlying principles of traditional practices wereevaluated on the basis of present day scientificknowledge drawn from other subjects, within theframework of ecological concepts.

c) Methods of Support-area Rehabilitation:these included walling, gully-plugging, treeplantation and care and production of treeseedlings.

d) Tree Management for Fodder, Fuel-woodand Stem-wood Production: It was shown howfar careful and planned and scientific exploitationof these resources could increase potentialsustainability and productivity.

e) Formulation of comprehensive and detailedvillage support-area rehabilitation plan. Includinga village water management plan.

f) Organizing and conducting village meetingsto discuss and finalize draft plans.

g) The course encompasses methods ofbuilding irrigation tanks, fuel-efficient chulhas,sanitation facilities, composting and feedingmanagers. Though the students do not buildthese as a matter of course, their teacher couldtake them up as extra-curricular activities.

4.4.2 Operationalizing of the Course

In Uttarakhand a slot for the course had beenfound at the middle school level (grades 6, 7 and8) in the optional list of subjects. Schools/intermediate colleges were selected for theprogramme by the USNPSS and the DistrictInspector of Schools on the basis of interestshown in the course by a teacher of the schools/college or the principal.

A teacher from a selected school/college wasgiven an initial training by the USNPSS. Thisconsisted of a general orientation plus specifictraining for the sixth grade component of the course.The same teacher comes back at the beginning ofeach subsequent academic year for two further yearsfor training in the 7th and 8th grade components ofthe course. As the number of grades of the courseat a given school/college increased from one to three,a second teacher was also trained. Teacher trainingcourses were of 5 days duration. One-dayorientation meetings were held for principals andfor Education Department officials and supervisorystaff. Copies of student workbooks and teachers’manuals were supplied free of cost of participatingschools/colleges, as well as a set of tools and

29ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

instruments required for the practical work.It had been observed that visits were made

by USNPSS staff to participating schools/colleges during the school year to monitorprogress, help sort out problems and clear updoubts teachers might had. One or two one-daymeetings of teachers with the project staffs wereheld during the school year to discuss progressand solve problems that had arisen.

Examination papers were sent out for half-yearly and annual examinations for each class,and the answer books, after being marked by theteachers themselves, were sent in for evaluationby project staff.

As the course designed, a village was seenas a laboratory for students to experiment withand learn from the community. As per statementmade by school teachers and concerned villagersit had been revealed that over the years, therehad been improvement in the quality of teaching.Teachers were taking children to the study villageand interacting with the communities. The studyreveals that Almost 1/5th of the schools wereregularly visiting the study village whereas halfof the schools were doing some of their exercisesin the village and completing other works in theschools. Eighteen percent of the schools wereconfined to school exercises only whereas 11percent of the schools did not do anything ofthat kind. Interviews and questionnaires wereused to assess the teachers’ awareness andattitudes towards Environmental Education inschools. Among them some were trained teachersundergone three times training for EE whereassome were trained once or not al all trained. Therewas a significant difference in awareness andattitudes regarding EE among these two groupsof teachers. This comes from the memory oftrained teachers that while untrained a teachervisualize EE as a less important subject in termsof future career development and academicachievement. For them, EE was about treeplantation, wildlife protection, and such distantand abstract problems as air pollution in citiesand global warming. Thus they were initiallysurprised to learn that the course was about rurallivelihoods and it was all about helping a majorityof students to provide them the knowledge andskills necessary to achieving at least a modeststandard of living in the village.

The ideological change among the teachersbefore and after training in EE could be depictedin figure 1.

4.5 The Balwadi and its Significance inUttarakhand

4.5.1 Balwadis: the pre-Primary Centres

One of the primary achievements of UKSN interms of environmental education in the regionwas the establishment and smooth running ofBalwadis. This very institution had createdseveral positive consequences towards thebetterment of people of this hilly area, specificallythe children and women — their life ways andconfidence building process. Responding theinterest of the mothers (adults) who wanted theNGO to do something for their children insteadof trying the adults’ live, two Balwadis werestarted in 1987. That was the beginning of aremarkable event in the area.

The importance of Balwadi lies in the veryspecific life-ways of the people of Uttarakhand.Besides being situated in steep mountain ranges,the villagers had been facing problems due todeforestation, soil erosion, leading to fastdisappearing of fuel and fodder. The adversegeographical condition of the area, rapidurbanization, opening up of tourism industry etchad attracted the village male folk to come out oftraditional livelihood domain and rush towardsurban areas. This had significant influences onvillages’ economic scenario as the staying backfemale members had to take the burden to run thefamily. The famous saying of the people here inUttaranchal “pahar ki pani aur pahar ki jawanipahar ke liye nahi” (water and youths of hillsare not for hills) reveals the untold tragedy of thewomen of the area. It was well known that thevery economy of Uttaranchal was known as“money order economy” as most of the maleperson stays out and send money order to theirfamilies in lieu of their physical presence.

In such a situation raring and caring ofchildren, producing consumables, collecting fueland fodder from far away places becomes anofficial assignment for village women. The foresthad been fast reducing and so also the lifeline —the fuel wood and fodder. Women now had to goto far away places on foot to collect their dailyrequirements spending half a day or more. Whathappens to the small children leaving behind athome? No wonder, the usual practice was to tiethe child with a rope on its feet and tie it to a poleof house — the way people use to tie a domesticanimal. Sometime the child was kept inside a

30 C.J. SONOWAL

basket-like place till its mother comes back form aday’s work. The child was exposed to all kinds ofhazards till then.

Introduction of Balwadi in these areas hadbeen hailed as a boon for the children and themothers as the mother now could keep theirchildren there with assured care and hygiene andalso quality knowledge. The Balwadi runs forfour hours a day. In these four hours, through

being given the freedom to play and exploreuninhibitedly, the children learn about the worldaround them. A special emphasis was given toenvironment, helping the children to relate to theirimmediate surroundings. As the children learnthrough play, a searching and questioningmentality was induced through this openness.

Though initially the idea of Balwadis was animported one, at present the very existence of the

Fig. 1.

31ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

institution was a community decision. It was notjust like a baby sitting place. Through certainaspects of its operation, it draws the villagetogether into a cohesive and active community.This was visible from the very set-up of theBalwadi. It was started in villages where it wasasked for. In addition, the place where the Balwadiwill run was decided upon and organized by thevillagers themselves. The villagers and local NGOalso choose whom they want as the Balwadishikshika (teacher), a girl usually above 18 yearsold. The village women decide the daily timings ofthe Balwadi in accordance with their seasonalworkload. The general overseeing of the Balwadiwas done entirely at the local level. This results ina strong sense of responsibility towards theBalwadi among the villagers. This very nature ofcommunity involvement was a unique one in thesense that the sense of necessity come from withinand concept of belonging was well present. Atthe time of the study there were 355 Balwadis with6529 students, 421 teachers and 39 supervisors.

The role of Balwadi shikshika (teacher) wasvery important as she was the primary source forthe village women to be exposed for new ideas,strategies for the betterment of their life-ways inseveral important spheres. These dedicated girlswere further trained and helped by theMargdarshikas. The Balwadi shikshika holdsregular meetings with mothers, showing themtheir children’s work and outlining their progress.In many villages, the mother of the child broughta little gurh (jaggery) to distribute to the otherchildren and women on the occasion. It becomesan event, an opportunity to assemble and thesense of community was intensified. In thismanner, Mahila Mangal Dals or Women’sGroups were formed. The Balwadi’s role increating these Women’s Groups was easilydiscernable: the interest in their children’seducation securing them as a strong entity, withthe ability to do great work.

4.5.2 Effect of the Balwadi on Children

The Balwadi curriculum was firmly foundedin the idea of learning through play, whichrecognized to be the most efficient way ofpromoting a child’s eagerness and interest inlearning at the pre-school age. Bhav-geets (songsaccompanied by expressions) were also animportant means of allowing children to expressthemselves. Children ceased to be inhibited, their

enjoyment furthering their desire to learn morebhav-geets. Working with soil was an importantbalkarya (practical). The importance of thesechildren working with mud was invaluable – itmeant that from a young age a link was madebetween their soil and themselves: soil that wasthe centre of the agrarian life.

Paryavaran or environment was the mostimportant topic included in the Balwadi syllabus,and one which was integrated into every aspectof the course. The acute urban migration fromHimalayan villages was a reminder of the issuethat people were dissatisfied with their agrarianlife. This had led to immense contradictions beingembedded amongst the people. ‘parhe-likhe logmitti mein hath nahin dalte’ (educated peopledo not put their hands in mud) was a refrain wellversed in the villages. Thus, from a young agechildren were taught not to get their hands dirtyin mud. This was especially true for the male, forwhom a job in the city was vital if he was to beconsidered a success. This had resulted in ageneration of youth with a condescendingattitude to their soil. By emphasizing the value ofParyavaran in the curriculum, the organization wastrying to bridge the gap between land and life —to instill in children from a young age a love andrespects to their surroundings. Bhav-geets andstories even games taught the children and helpthem relate to their environment. The songs andstories were not simply about trees, but animals,the seasons, the growth and cycle of crops, andtheir own health/cleanliness amongst otherthings. Many games and balkaryas addressedsimilar themes.

Naashta (breakfast) was an important aspectof the Balwadi curriculum. Children brought theirown food from home. Often children simplybrought roti (unleavened bread) with gurh(jaggery). However, it was the shikshika’scontinuous effort to convince parents to send morenutritious food making the change in them Inseveral Balwadis, the shikshika’s effort had beenrewarded and children brought vegetables withtheir roties. A significant attitudinal change wasalso noted, where the village women had actuallybegun to grow different varieties of vegetables.

There was also great social significance inchildren bringing their own naashta and sittingtogether to eat: the loosening of caste divisions.The shikshika, the margdarshika and the localNGO invested considerable effort to countercaste barriers. The necessity of naashta was

32 C.J. SONOWAL

bought up in Abhibhavak Goshthis and reiteratedconstantly.

In the meetings of the NGO personnel and inthe training session for Margdarshikas andshikshikas, it was highly emphasized that therewas marked difference in the attitude and behaviorbetween children attending Balwadis and thosenot attending it. The children from Balwadis weremore disciplined, well versed and assertive,constructive and they do very well in primaryand upper levels of their study. There was hugedemand to continue these programs in primarystandards also as there appear a gap betweenBalwadi and Middle school standards inenvironmental education.

4.5.3 Mahila Mangal Dals (MMD)

Forma-tion of Mahila Mangal Dals was oneof the direct positive impacts of Balwadis. Thevillage women silent and non-assertive as a singleentity, gathers momentum of expression abouttheir problems and hard life while forming a group.The informal discussion at Balwadis while takingback their children home many a time led to anorganized form of entity - the MMD. Thus theyaddressed the very basic things of their lives inthe meetings. The Balwadi shikshika, and LocalNGO provide the Mahila Mangal Dal withsupport at the beginning, by coordinatingdiscussions and meetings and as the MahilaMangal Dal becomes stronger, the shikshika andlocal NGO cease to play an important role.

Out of operating areas of 125 assessedBalwadis there were 104 MMDs formed after it.These MMDs were working on several issueswhere the Balwadi shikshikas and Margdarshikashad direct bearings.

Severe deforestation and degradation of theland had created an extreme shortage of fuel-wood and fodder. This issue was one that hadbeen raised in Mahila Mangal Dal meetingsthroughout Uttarakhand. As a result, determinedaction had been taken – not only the plantationof trees, but also the protection of the jungle,which requires long-term perseverance. Cleaningthe village paths and springs was another respon-sibility that many Mahila Mangal Dals hadundertaken. Collectively organizing and cleaningthe village on a regular basis had also resulted ininstances of disease and illness diminishing.Likewise construction of toilets and buildingawareness among people was also primary

concern of the MMDs. In this manner, MahilaMangal Dals took steps for betterment of theirlives in the village in one or the other way.According to their varying circumstances, thesewomen had embarked on many different tasks.

It was quite evident that the NGOs had createda space for the women in society and throughthis platform, they organize themselves, make theirvoice heard and take up activities for selfdevelopment as well improvement in the qualityof life in rural areas. It was evident that in ruraldevelopment work, men and women had differentneeds and aspirations. Women felt that formationof a group had given them status, pride andconfidence to talk and most important was thefact that the group was socially acceptable andprovides a forum in which people makethemselves accountable to each other. It washowever cautioned that inadequate training andfollow-ups, money, village politics and inabilityof women to cope with certain situations couldharm the growth of women’s’ groups. Thus theUEEC had provided a meaningful guidance toMMDs in the state through training andworkshops.

Besides these the NGOs were involved inimproving sanitation, nursery raising andplantation and water source management in thevillages.

The chained interaction and effectiveness ofBalwadis and its subsequent impacts were shownin figure 2.

The diagram above tries to establish theeffectiveness of simple activities through aninstitution called Balwadis in Uttaranchal. It wasworth-mentioning that environment and womenhad critical relationship in terms of developmentand livelihood. It was evident that at nationaland international level lots of work had beeninitiated and innumerable amount of money hadbeen spent in the name of betterment ofenvironment and gender. Compared to theachievement of those big ways the UKSN’sefforts seems to be cost effective and efficient.Their effective way of involving people at grassroots level in the process of making life betterand making the people feel and act for ownbetterment had been gaining positive results.

5. CONCLUSION

It was seen from the discussion that theUKSN had been successful to a great extent in

33ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

imparting Environmental Education in schools aswell as among the communities. The course onEE developed by the centre was intimately relatedto the life-supporting natural environment of theregion. The students of different standards were

given the very basic ideas of their land, plants,animals and utility and production capacity in avery simplistic manner. It was also found that thestudents were very much adept with such kind ofinformation. As has been mentioned by various

Fig. 2. The chained interaction and effectiveness of Balwadis in Environmental activities andCommunity Development.

Geo-physical condition manifestation in socio-economic life Development Process

34 C.J. SONOWAL

authors, the immediate environmental concernsthat are related to day-to-day life of the concernedpopulation should be the core of EE. The Centrehas taken into account these issues in the course.The involvement of surrounding communities inthe framework of EE in schools was seen fruitfulin most of the cases which was one of thestrategies of the centre. Nevertheless, the studyreveals certain strategic constraints of the EEcourse prevalent in the schools.

The grades/marks obtained in EE class werenot counted in final examination and it was foundthat due to this reason the course was not takenseriously in some schools. But there was nosufficient number of monitoring team across theregion to monitor the progress of the course. Giventhe prevailing geo-physical condition of theregion, the strength of monitoring team might beincreased. The course defined some conceptsbased on practical aspects of EE which could beobserved in the field. But some of such observableentities like “support areas” etc was hard todevelop in practice. There were model villageswhere the students could see the positive outcomeof sustainable development. But these villages werescanty. Another technical aspect was theavailability of land and related resources to startup such activities. It has been stated elsewhere inthis writing how the training on EE has made mostof the teachers concerned towards meaningfulenvironmental education in schools as well as atcommunity level. It was felt that there was morescope for discussion oriented programmescreating a platform for exchange of ideas,constraints among EE teachers in running thecourse. It was also found that in some areas theinteraction between EE teachers and thesurrounding villagers were not up to the mark. Asthe active cooperation of village communities wasa primary need for the success of EE in schools,there might be some sort of arrangements toincrease the cordial relation and cooperation.

The need and importance of well-integratednetwork of women’s groups at different levels ofsociety was felt from the fact that the environmentand women’s life was very much related to eachother. The effect of denudation and plantation ofnon-traditional trees has been surfaced in a deeperway in the region. Women were seen quite activein environmental concerns. They have started toraise their issues and some local level organiza-tions have helped them to organize in groups.Thus it was felt that the NGOs should be more

innovative in terms of utilization, management andregeneration of livelihood resources. Thereshould be a holistic approach to promote themarket for village level agricultural and cottageindustry products for economic development ofvillage people.

The evaluation of activities of CPREEC madeit clear that the centre has taken up several aspectsof environmental concerns in their EE programme.It was seen there were regional variation withinthe areas covered by the centre. Thus theimmediate environmental concerns were alsodifferent in those places. There was a tendencyamong the NGOs involved in EE to depictenvironmental concerns as imbibed from theCPREEC in training that they attended, irrespectiveof regional variation in environment. This haddefinite bearing on selection of locale-specific EEin schools, which was the primary concern of EOSEProgramme. Several authors have put theiremphasis on identifying the locale-specificenvironmental concerns while taking initiatives inEE in schools. The study also revealed that theNGOs involve in one aspect of EE in one year andits duration is for one year. In terms ofsustainability of such programme this is a veryshort duration and this resulted in failure of theprogramme in making long time impression ontarget population. It was also revealed that manyprimary environmental concerns specific to aparticular area were not included in theirprogramme. Issues like water conservation anddifferent ways of water management, sanitationand health aspects did not find place in many ofthe NGO’s programme lists. There were no modellaboratory (model village or area) for the studentsto get firsthand practical idea about such issues.There was hardly any link found among theschools, the concerned NGOs and the surroundingcommunities in terms of EE had to be made primaryconcern of the NGOs’ agenda in one way or theother. It was also found that different NGOs takeup different issues for every year and there was nouniformity in standards of EE in schools.

Considering the situation it was felt thatintensive training for teachers, imbibing somecore locale-specific ideas and, imposing somesorts of accountability on them would help EE inschool proceed in its right direction. There wasneed to address the issue of co-ordinationbetween State Education Department and NGOs’working regarding EE in schools. The mostimportant task required to do by CPREEC was to

35ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: THE INDIAN SCENARIO

formulate a master-plan for its working areasindicating.★ locale-specific environmental concern of

each specific area,★ probable remedial activities,★ formulating specified area wise teaching and

learning materials based on the plan,★ establishing a network of EE teachers and a

common platform for them to exchange ideasand required skill formation.

★ Formulate plan for capacity building amongteachers and to develop sustainablemotivation for continuation of programmeafter the NGO ceases to work.

★ Establishing a meaningful cooperationbetween EE teachers (Schools) andsurrounding community domain,

★ Intensive interaction with state educationdepartment in formulating EE for schoolsharmonizing it with other regular courses.

The most wide spread and well equippedamong the three nodal agencies was the Centrefor Environment Education (CEE). CEE was quitesuccessful in bringing out EE resource materialsacceptable in almost entire country along withseveral locale-specific print materials and trainingmodules etc suitably developed to local andregional level use for EE. But the utilization ofsuch materials by target groups was far fromsatisfaction. Its administrative coverage was widewhereas, coverage of implementation of progra-mme through which the resource materials couldbe used was not well established. Despite thefact that a good many of the associated NGOshad been showing efficient implementation ofprojects, given the vastness of the target groupsand limited tenure of grants for projects, theactivities were so far unable to show desired effectup to satisfaction.

The points mentioned above give rise to arequirement of a strategic plan formulation forfurther improvement of EE in schools. Given theunderstanding that the CEE had developedenough of materials related to Environmentalawareness and education, methodology ofteacher learning, training and experimental kitsetc, now there was need to formulate an“Environmental Cluster Map” of its coveredareas. This may be done by collecting data oncommon and unique feature of “EnvironmentUnit” categorized on the basis of some selectedcriteria. Then data on locale-specific environ-mental concerns of those areas could be collected

and analyzed. Using the advanced interpretivetechnique, similar areas could be identified and,keeping the current standard of school syllabusin mind the EE materials could be developed. Whilecommon chapters may be meant for a wider area,locale-specific items may be supplemented tothose EE materials.

The Role of NGOs may be of Two Folds

First, after getting information on specific localcharacters, the NGOs may be asked to developrelevant materials giving them some standardguidelines regarding the specific characteristicfeatures of the particular area. Secondly, the NGOsmight take the responsibility of intensive trainingto teachers and monitoring of activities on EE.CEE may form a network of locale NGOs in itsworking areas with a common agenda to makelocal communities environmental conscious andcooperative towards EE activities in schools nearto them. The monitoring and follow-up activitiesmight be controlled by a centralized team atdifferent administrative levels.

By now, the EE has become a regular subjectin formal school system in the country. But thereis doubt as how far the locale-specific materialshave been included in the respective syllabus.Lakhs of rupees have been spent so far on EOSEand a good deal of information and techniqueshave been accumulated. A logical and meaningfulinclusion of those resources can make EE evenbetter and successful in the country.

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