JAY JOSHI
Taking a step towards a clean and green Goa, students in the state will now be acquainted with scientific ways of waste disposal with introduction of the subject in school syllabus. The initiative is a part of the Mulya Vardhan programme which aims at imparting value-education in schools. What’s more, there will be assessment or examination for this course, which will first be introduced in class III.
The initiative certainly looks good on paper, but there are some tough questions. Experience has shown us that education may not always go hand-in-hand with civic sense. It is the educated people who talk about global warming, but nonetheless, buy cars that emit carbon monoxide. In the light of this example, how much of an impact will the new initiative have?
“There are a number of considerations here” says Shubhada Marathe, a retired teacher from Shiroda. “The children will of course get an idea of how garbage disposal works, but many of them may not be able to do it practically. Many urban kids are known to get their parents or servants to do projects related to gardening. At the end of the day, you can take the horse to the water, but you cannot make it drink. The real question here is whether such things need to be included in the syllabus or could they reach the students in a better way through any other channel?”
Professor Prakash Gosavi, a retired professor from Sindhudurg, places the onus on teachers. “Introducing kids to responsible garbage disposal is a noble idea, and I also welcome having it as a part of syllabus. The key is how interesting can the teachers make it for the students. The students will certainly learn if they are interested and know how important it is. It is the teachers who should skillfully impart the knowledge. If that fails, then the initiative loses its purpose.”
On the other hand, professor Ramdas Kelkar, principal of Sapteshwar Higher Secondary School, Mandrem believes the authorities should work on a far wider scale for the initiative to truly have an impact. “While the authorities are teaching students that waste should be disposed of responsibly, many civic bodies themselves are not serious about cleanliness. Garbage dumps are not regularly cleaned up, there is no action from authorities to stop people from littering. Similarly, if you hit someone, people look at it as a serious offense and urge for action and redressal, but most people do not look at littering with the same seriousness” says Kelkar.
“The point is, while the students are learning that proper waste disposal is important, they should also see that happening around them. Otherwise they will note the gap between what is taught and what is done, and lose faith in the system.”
Purnima Naique, headmistress of Secondary section of People’s High School, Panaji however, is optimistic about the programme. “This is the need of the hour. At our school, we have successfully implemented segregation of garbage, and the students have now internalised it. When kids are made aware of proper waste disposal, they will spread the message to their parents. Furthermore, the course will not have an examination, but will be an activity-based course. The kids will learn about the environment and ways to preserve it, and it will go a long way towards improving the society as a whole,” Naique stated.
