Why is Environmental Education important in the classroom?

Over the course of time, climate change has undergone an unprecedented acceleration. Our way of consumption as a society, makes the planet is at a point of no return if we talk about pollution and global warming. Therefore, it is important that from the beginning of our lives we are close to environmental education.

Now, it is valid to ask ourselves if the world really gives importance to the subject of environmental education in the school environment.

Via: El País. PHOTOGRAPHEE.EU / GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

What is environmental education?

Since the seventies, a great movement for planetary care and conservation emerged in the world. This movement is made up of people interested in sharing conservationist and planet-friendly practices and customs with others. Many of the members of the groups began to work in communities to teach the importance of environmental education.

Years later, they began to gain space not only in the streets, but also in formal education schools. There, people began to talk about environmental education as a topic that would improve the quality of life of those who would inhabit the future.

Environmental education in schools

Europe was the pioneering place for environmental education to move into schools. During the 1980s, the first school subjects covering environmental problems and how to avoid them were introduced. Countries such as Germany and Austria added ecological preservation subjects to their school curricula. In other places it was a little later. Since the 1990s, environmental education began to be seen as a necessity for teaching in schools.

In the case of countries such as Spain, not all schools have officially included in their curricula a subject related to environmental education. There is much concern in recent years that there is no will on all sides to make conservation, preservation and care of the planet a priority in the classroom.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, such as Latin America, environmental education has many visible shortcomings. There are still no laws in the countries that add a subject in the school curriculum with environmental content. In addition, there are disagreements within governments on production models, which means that in countries such as Brazil, the current government allows the burning and felling of trees in the Amazon. The environmental issue is underestimated in the discussion.

In Latin America, it seems that environmental issues have been assigned only to non-profit organizations that work for the environment. These are the ones that assume the role in schools and community spaces, to try to promote environmental education.

The fundamentals of providing environmental education in schools

In the current context of upheaval and climate crisis in which the world finds itself, environmental education should be a priority at all school levels. Mainly a formation around ecology and environment, allows that in the future the professionals of the education, are qualified to give classes on the subjects. This is where the seeds for the future are born.

Another positive impact of a good environmental education is to create conscious subjects, people capable of reasoning and acting responsibly in making decisions in environmental situations. A child who has received a good line of instruction will be an adult committed to the conservation of the environment where he/she lives.

It is also important to emphasize that environmental education rescues a series of values that allow greater harmony with nature, but also among human beings. Training in respect, tolerance and care is valuable to be applied in all social and individual contexts.

Environmental education at home

Education begins at home. That is why we encourage you to inform yourself about all those practices that you can implement and learn to get closer to a more sustainable model of life.

Here are some of the most important topics to learn about to get you started:

• Urban Gardens

• Composting

• Green Dots

• Zero Waste

• Second Hand

• Kitchen of Aprovechamiento

• Recycling

• Bulk Purchase

• Energy Efficiency

• Etc.

In the same way, you will be setting an example to follow for the little ones at home, who can learn about environmental education at home through games.

Here are some ideas for home environmental education games for children:

• Germinate a seed.

• Build a birdhouse.

• Make recycled paper

• Simple recipes for recycling

• Composting (it can be fun for kids too!)

• Collect plastics at the beach or in the woods.

• Waste baskets: to practice recycling

• Recycled imagination: recycle objects and give them a new life

Join the fight!