SYNOPSIS
In India, as in many parts of the world, environmental education has been included as a part of the curriculum in schools and colleges. This project attempts to study whether and to what extent has the formal method of imparting environment education in schools has been effective by studying the status of environmental awareness of school children.
Many new townships and cities have sprung up during the last fifty years. Urbanization has had its impact on the previously uninhabited areas and the natural resources therein. The neglect of the masses has resulted in environmental degradation. To reverse this trend there is a need to convince the people about the importance of nature conservation and adoption of eco-friendly practices. The first step towards this is the creation of environmental awareness among the people. However, this should begin at the school level when the childrens minds are impressionable. CATCHING THEM YOUNG, is the most effective way of creating environment awareness and thus preparing the children to become eco-soldiers in their later lives.
Though environmental education is currently imparted by giving information on related topics through subjects like science, geography, civics and community living; there is a need to ascertain the effectiveness of this formal method by studying the level of environmental awareness.
Realizing the importance of this fact, an attempt is made through this study to determine the level of environmental awareness among school children of Ulhasnagar.
The study employs the methods of observation, interaction with children and survey through questionnaire.
Prior to the actual survey, the text-books of standards 8th, 9th and 10th were studied to know the scope of environment related topics in the syllabus. Accordingly a simple questionnaire on environmental pollution, and its effects on health, was prepared. The children were also posed questions to obtain their opinions on factors responsible for causing and controlling pollution. With due permission from the Heads of Schools, the survey was conducted in ten schools in Ulhasnagar. A brief presentation on the importance of nature conservation and the problems of environmental pollution was made before handing over the questionnaire to the children.
After conducting the survey in all the ten schools, the data gathered was interpreted statistically and relevant inferences were drawn. The report of the study is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter discusses the problem and its importance and describes the scope and outline of the report. The second chapter gives a detailed account of the material describing the past efforts to conserve the environment and measures taken to promote environmental education and create environmental awareness. The third chapter details the various features of Ulhasnagar like its geography, recent history, people, population, pollution problems, local administration public amenities, educational institutions etc. The fourth chapter discusses the damage done to environment in the Indian context, by the ignorant and neglectful attitude of the people; the effect of government policies and the impact on the masses. The fifth chapter presents the data collected with the help of tables and graphical representation. It also contains the analysis and the subsequent inferences drawn thereby. A conclusion that the status of the environmental awareness of the school children of Ulhasnagar, is poor, is made at the end of the chapter. The sixth chapter details the approach adopted during the study.
The seventh chapter discusses the results of this study and describes the benefits expected from the study; the time taken, costs incurred and efforts taken to accomplish the study and the precautions taken during the study. The eighth chapter details the gains and limitations of the study and describes the scope for further study.
Please email the author for more details: rajesh_mahantmath01@yahoo.com