Pilot project to promote environmental education
Pilot project to promote environmental education
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government is designing a pilot project to carry out
environmental education in schools across Indonesia in a bid to
improve students' awareness of the environment.
Officials from the Ministry of National Education and the
Office of the State Minister for the Environment are scheduled to
hold a meeting with UNESCO representatives later this month to
discuss the preparations for the project.
The program will involve schools in Jakarta, Bandung and a
remote area to be named later, deputy state environment minister
for environmental management Hoetomo said on Wednesday.
The planned project follows a memorandum of understanding
signed recently by State Minister for the Environment Rachmat
Witoelar and Minister of National Education Bambang Sudibyo to
join forces to promote environmental education in schools and
among communities.
"This concrete action will consist of two steps: policy making
involving the environment and education ministries, and the
implementation of a pilot project, with the support of UNESCO
(the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization)," Hoetomo said.
He said several non-governmental organizations and other
private agencies would be involved in the program.
"We have selected three candidates for our pilot project,
namely the Lab School in Jakarta, Sekolah Alam (the Nature
School) in Bandung and a school in a remote area that we have yet
to decide on," he said, adding that the Lab School headmaster
Arif Rahman will also represent UNESCO in running the pilot
project.
Hoetomo said the schools were chosen mainly based on location,
since they would be more accessible and easier to manage and
supervise.
He said his ministry would suggest that all the subjects
currently taught in the schools adopt a certain environmental
component.
"So, there will no specific subject on environmental issues
taught in schools, but we will impart environmental awareness
through all existing subjects of study," he stressed.
Hoetomo said that after the pilot project had been carried
out, a campaign to promote environmental issues among the public
would be initiated involving the whole community.
This, he added, aims at integrating the pilot project into
existing community development projects, such as the family
welfare education (PKK) program.
The campaign would involve the private sector and non-
governmental organizations to promote positive attitudes among
the communities toward the environment, Hoetomo said.
He hopes that within the next five years, the environmental
education program would improve people's awareness of the
importance of health and of a clean environment.
"That not only means good tangible performance, but it also
shows a proper attitude," he said.
He said that in this case, the media plays a significant role
in disseminating information on environmental issues. "That does
not mean that the media should report good news only; they may
report bad news as well, but in a constructive manner." (004)