Environment education gets hi-tech
With the efforts of a Maharashtra University, environment education in the country has become hi-tech.
By PTI |
MUMBAI: In an attempt to address the problem of "inadequate" qualified and trained teachers for imparting environment education in the country, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) has prepared special VCDs which will be used as teaching aids by the colleges.
Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna released the VCDs, prepared with support from numerous international agencies like NASA, UCSR Communications (USA) and European Commission, Brussels.
The YCMOU has prepared 30 video films (17 in English, 13 in Marathi) on environmental awareness at a total cost of approximately Rs 10 lakh. It contains amongst others, a rare footage of nuclear wastage dumping on ocean beds provided by NASA.
"The initiative taken by YCMOU is commendable indeed, especially for being able to enlist the expertise of acknowledged experts in the field like Sunderlal Bahuguna, Dr Madhav Chitale and others," Krishna said here, after launching the VCDs.
The Supreme Court in 2003 had directed all educational institutes in the country to make Environmental Awareness a compulsory subject at all levels. Subsequently, the UGC had also prepared a syllabus and sent it.
"Despite these steps, however, it still remains a fact that there is a paucity of trained and qualified teachers on environment. Neither is it always possible for every institution of higher education to recruit specialised faculty," YCMOU Vice-chancellor Rajan Welukar said.
"It is therefore, necessary that some alternative steps are initiated to impart environment education, taking into account the presence of varous constraints," Welukar said.
Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna released the VCDs, prepared with support from numerous international agencies like NASA, UCSR Communications (USA) and European Commission, Brussels.
The YCMOU has prepared 30 video films (17 in English, 13 in Marathi) on environmental awareness at a total cost of approximately Rs 10 lakh. It contains amongst others, a rare footage of nuclear wastage dumping on ocean beds provided by NASA.
"The initiative taken by YCMOU is commendable indeed, especially for being able to enlist the expertise of acknowledged experts in the field like Sunderlal Bahuguna, Dr Madhav Chitale and others," Krishna said here, after launching the VCDs.
The Supreme Court in 2003 had directed all educational institutes in the country to make Environmental Awareness a compulsory subject at all levels. Subsequently, the UGC had also prepared a syllabus and sent it.
"Despite these steps, however, it still remains a fact that there is a paucity of trained and qualified teachers on environment. Neither is it always possible for every institution of higher education to recruit specialised faculty," YCMOU Vice-chancellor Rajan Welukar said.
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"It is therefore, necessary that some alternative steps are initiated to impart environment education, taking into account the presence of varous constraints," Welukar said.
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