One year old today and project is still going strong
By John Pillai
IT may not be very difficult to start a project, but certainly not so easy to sustain it.
The National Environmental Education of The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad was launched by Education Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sulaiman Daud on Feb 22 last year — exactly a year ago today.
And today, it is not only still going on, but has became one of the most sought after environmental education projects.
This morning, as the Education Ministry (the joint organizers of the project) celebrates with us the first anniversary of this national-level environmental education project, we take a look at what we have done and what is in store.
The project’s main objectives are instilling environmental awareness and appreciation, and laying the foundation for generating a society which will have the knowledge and the capability to care for and act responsibly to protect the environment.
The approach is a very informal and action-oriented one. Since the launching of the project, thousands of students throughout the country, both from government as well as private education institutions, have shown their strong commitment to environmental action.
The students have formed environmental clubs. They collect old newspapers and bring them to their schools and colleges. These are sold by the New Straits Times, on behalf of the schools, for recycling.
The students start flower gardens and plant trees in their school compounds, thus converting drab compounds into garden-like environments.
Some even landscape their compounds and create mini waterfalls fountains and rock gardens.
Some schools get their students to help clean up rivers, lakes, beaches and compounds in residential areas.
These are just some of the activities the students have carried out in the last one year under the NST National Environmental Education programme.
"Just talking about environmental problems is one thing. But actually doing something about it is quite another," said Dr Sulaiman, who is the patron of the programme.
"The Ministry has issued a circular advising all schools to support the programme because it is an action-oriented one. It encourages students to be personally involved in doing something for the environment and contributing a bit to save the Earth," he added.
New Straits Times Sdn Bhd group editor A. Kadir Jasin, who is the chairman of the project, said: "It is our hope that this programme will help to harness the energies of our young people — the decision makers of tomorrow — for environmental action.
"Through their example, we hope more of their peers will be involved in environmental activities, triggering a multiplier reaction from the school compound to the community and to the nation."
Judging from the man letters from schools and colleges indications are that this project is here to stay. And just as well. After all, caring for the environment is not a one-off thing. It has to be on-going.
Several plans are in the pipeline to make the programme more exciting. The current collection of old newspapers will go on. At the same time more programmes will be introduced.
One of the major activities to be launched soon is an inter-school/college competition themed "School in a Garden" (or Sekolah dalam Taman). Another interesting competition being planned is an environmental resource book competition.
(NST Specialist Writer John Pillar is the organising secretary of the project. More details of the project may be obtained by writing to him at Editorial Department, New Straits Times, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.)
Source : New Straits Times, February 22 1993
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