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)