KATHMANDU — Nowadays, school students are more aware about the environmental challenges than the adults. When a reporter of Hakahaki visited Buddhanagar-based Rosebud School to inquire about the environmental challenges with the students, it was found that Mansika Chaulagain had deeper knowledge about the environment. She also conveyed her sadness about the negligence on the part of local leaders regarding the issues of environment.
Most of the children go to school these days. But only the bookish knowledge is not enough for the children. It is important that the schools should give extra knowledge of environmental issues to the students.
Mansika said air pollution and water pollution are increasing in the Kathmandu Valley. “I don’t like going outside of the school or home to play because of the smoke and dust and the bad smell emanating from dirty water,” said the fourth grader, adding, “Environment can be protected if the old vehicles are banned from plying the street, if the factories are built outside the city area and stop throwing garbage in the rivers.” In reality, government and the policy makers should address these kinds of issues. However, the authorities have not taken any initiative to conserve the environment.
Mansika said that she learnt many things about the environment during a program organized at the school to mark the World Environment Day. If all the children like Mansika are informed about the issues of environment from now, this will make them aware about our environmental situation and also the ways to face the challenges. School children know about the challenges, but we have not able to give more attention towards conserving the environment.
When this reporter of Hakahaki visited N.K.Singh English Preparatory School (EPS) at Minbhawan, Vice-Principal Rajendra Sharma said that they have been teaching the issue of environment to the students up to grade 8 by including the topic in the science and social subjects.
Tixna Karki, teacher at EPS, said that they have also been teaching the environmental issues by including in the Science subject. “We have been organizing various programs in the school to give knowledge about the environment to the students,” Karki said.
Aryan Karn of the same school said that he got more information about the environment after the school raised awareness among the students about the problems of environment. “I think that air pollution is a serious problem in the environment at present,” he said.
Tulsi Sharma, coordinator of grade 4 and 5 at the Rosebud School, said that the school has been providing information about the burning issues of the environment to the students during the prayer time on the school premises every day.
Similarly, Rijan Pujara, fourth grader at the Shantinagar-based Glacier International School, was found much aware about the problems of environment. He said he got much information about the problems of environment because of the school. “Water pollution is the main problem of environment. I became a victim of diarrhea after consuming contaminated water during the summer,” he said.
Students these days are found much conscious about their health and the problems of environment. If every school provides information about problems of environment to the students or raise awareness among the students, hopefully our society will be clean and clear in the coming days.
Only a few years ago, environment science was taught as a separate subject in lower secondary school. But now this subject has been included in Science and Social Studies up to grade 8. But grade 9 and 10 still have separate subject for environment.
