Environmental Education represents a set of sustainable actions aimed at environmental conservation.
Given its importance, on June 3rd, the National Day of Environmental Education.
Objectives of environmental education
Environmental education aims to understand the concepts related to the environment, sustainability, preservation and conservation.
Therefore, it seeks to train conscientious and critical citizens, strengthening citizen practices.
Allied to this, it works with the interrelationship between human beings and the environment, developing a cooperative spirit committed to the future of the planet.
The importance of environmental education
Alongside its principles and objectives, the great importance of environmental education lies in the conscientious action of citizens. Therefore, it aims at increasing sustainable practices as well as reducing environmental damage.
Therefore, it promotes the change of behaviors considered harmful to both the environment and society.
In the school environment, it has great importance as children learn to deal with sustainable development from an early age.
With the growth and deepening of these themes today, several undergraduate and graduate courses were created in this area of knowledge.
Legislation on environmental education
The National Environmental Education Policy is governed by Law No. 9795, of April 27, 1999. The contents include: concept, objectives, principles, performance and its relationship with education.
“Art. 1º Environmental education is understood as the processes through which the individual and the community build social values, knowledge, skills, attitudes and skills aimed at the conservation of the environment, a good for common use by the people, essential to a healthy quality of life and its sustainability.”
“Art. 7 º The National Environmental Education Policy involves educational institutions in its sphere of action, in addition to the bodies and entities that make up the National Environment System - Sisnama. public and private education systems, public agencies of the Union, States, Federal District and Municipalities, and non-governmental organizations operating in education environmental.”
Read the full document: National Environmental Education Policy.
Environmental education in schools
Articulated with the mandatory subjects of the school curriculum, environmental education has been increasingly addressed in the school environment.
The transversal discipline of the environment is closely related to the concept of environmental education.
From this perspective, the student is prepared to learn about issues related to the environmental area, with the aim of becoming a citizen aware of their practices.
With this, it aims at the formation of values and attitudes created under the focus of sustainability.
Topics such as consumption, natural resources, environmental crisis, greenhouse effect, types of waste, selective collection, recycling, among others, stand out.
All are worked with students so that they become familiar with sustainable practices and can glimpse the problems related to the degradation of the environment and its implications future.
According to Law No. 9,795, of April 27, 1999.
Art. 10 º. Environmental education will be developed as an integrated, continuous and permanent educational practice at all levels and modalities of formal education.
Activities on environmental education
Several extracurricular activities are developed with themes related to environmental education.
In the school environment, debates, presentations and some lectures can clarify several ideas about the topic. If the school has some green space, some activities can be developed there.
In addition, and in a more practical way, students can visit places where sustainable practices are developed.
Several communities today are independently working on this concept. An example are the community gardens, created by the residents themselves and which involve environmental awareness, interaction and even better quality of life.
Working together to collect garbage and residues in environments that suffer from this problem can be a good alternative to awaken the problem of pollution in students.
Visits to natural spaces, such as parks, vegetable gardens, can help students reflect on the importance of natural assets and also their conservation.
Another idea of activity involves commemorative dates: World Water Day, Earth Day, Arbor Day, World Environment Day, among others.
Around these dates, teachers can create activities with their students. An example is an environmental week.
Environmental education for sustainability must allow education to become a vital, joyful, playful, attractive, sense-making and meanings, which stimulates creativity and allows redirecting the energy and rebellion of youth to carry out activity projects with the construction of a fairer, more tolerant, more equitable, more democratic and participative society, in which quality and quality life is possible. dignity. (Summit of the Americas, 1998)
Learn more about the themes:
- Environment
- Sustainability
- Selective collect
- Recycling
- Sustainable development
- Environmental impacts
