Teachers and pupils give thumbs up
By Chan Cheng Tuan and Helen Ang
A YEAR after its launching, the New Straits Times National Environmental Education has received the thumbs up from teachers and students.
They credit it for raising environmental awareness, especially among the younger generation.
Many said the project is the catalyst which has encouraged students and teachers to do something constructive to conserve the environment.
At the Sekolah Menengah Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur, where the project was launched on Feb 22 last year by Education Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sulaiman Daud, the teachers and students are proud to be the "pioneers" of a successful and meaningful project.
From a single palm tree which Dr Sulaiman planted in one of the 10 mini gardens at the school, the teachers and students have since then expanded the "school in a garden" concept to include a beautifully landscaped fish pond and seven plots of gardens.
Apart from collecting old newspapers for recycling, the school used old tyres, furniture frames and parts of bicycles as decorations to build fences and structural displays.
The teacher of its Nature Lovers’ Club, Lew Kek On, said the project is very educational for the teachers and students.
Apart from promoting environmental awareness, the project has taught the students to appreciate aesthetic values, how to maintain a good environment, build a fish pond, rear fish, and grow plants.
"We are incorporating what they have learnt from the project into their daily lessons. During the science class, they can observe the life cycle of frogs reared in the pond," he said.
The students are proud to see ugly gardens developing into beautiful areas.
A club committee member, Thoo Hoi Thian, said the project is useful as it has helped him to be aware of the threats which the environment is facing.
"I am now more aware of issues such as the effects of ozone-depleting substances and the importance of recycling paper," he said.
The fifth former said apart from collecting old newspapers for the school recycling programme, he also gathered aluminium cans for recycling, especially during the Chinese New Year where many of these cans were lying around.
Club treasurer Shahril Sharudin, 17,said the project has given his friends and he an objective in their efforts to conserve the environment instead of just planting trees.
Club assistant secretary Nurleena Hassan said the project has created a beautiful environment in the school which is conducive for learning.
"I learnt about the importance of teamwork and also realized the importance of a clean and beautiful environment," she said, adding that everyone has benefited.
Teacher Wong Siew Meng, who is involved in the Geography and Environmental Club in Sekolah Menengah Vivekananda, said although the club was set up about 10 years ago, the publicity and incentives provided by the NST project had spurred the members to strive harder to carry out activities.
"Previously, we also wanted to carry out newspaper recycling projects but we did not know where to send them to," she said.
She said the NST project encourages and motivates them as they feel their efforts are supported by a big organization.
Wong said the students also benefit from the money from the sale of the old newspapers they have collected. The money is used to buy newspapers and this inculcates the reading habit among the students.
The newspapers help the students to do research for their essays, she added.
Wong said the club in-tends to continue collecting old newspapers as it is conscious that efforts to conserve the environment must be done continuously.
Another teacher involved in SM Vivekananda’s environment programmers is Mr Andrew Heng, the adviser of the school’s Interact Club which is responsible for its landscaped garden.
The garden has a mini waterfall and a fishpond. It was built by club members last year in line with the "school in a garden" concept.
About 15 club members who had since left school took about four months to build the fish pond in the garden from rocks collected from the Klang River bank. Heng said the club members decided to build the garden, known as the Interact Park, as they wanted something beautiful to brighten the school’s environment.
Heng said the NST project enables students to put into practice what they have learnt and to help preserve the environment.
Ng Sook Fun, a fifth former at SM Vivekananda and the president of the school’s Geography and Environmental Club, said the NST project has made her aware of the importance of conserving the environment.
Ng believes that efforts to conserve the environment must be continuous and thus, she and her friends will continue to collect old newspapers for recycling under the NST project. The club handed over its first collection of old newspapers to the NST last April.
Another club member, fifth former V. Mohana Merry, said her involvement in the project has made her more aware of what she can do for the environment.
"Now if I see a cockroach, I will hit it rather than use an aerosol spray as I do not want to release chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the air," she said.
Yap Chee Chung, who is the school’s Interact Club president, said his club has organised projects to improve the surroundings in the school.
The fifth former has learnt a lot about the importance of planting trees and recycling papers since taking part in the project.
The NST National Environmental Education has also received praises from the teachers and students of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Convent Sentul 2.
Age is no barrier in contributing towards environment conservation as shown by these primary pupils. They collect old newspapers for recycling, maintain the school compound and beautify the area by having flower and vegetable gardens.
The school head prefect, Anna Salwa Fuad Nelson, 12, who is a member of the school’s Environment Club, said the NST project has taught her to appreciate the environment.
Standard six pupil Veena Mohan said she had learnt that it is important not to pollute the environment and she has tried to pass the message on to her siblings by asking them not to litter.
Elaine Low, 12, said the project has helped her appreciate a clean and healthy environment. And like her friends, Low goes around her neighbourhood not only to collect old newspapers but also aluminium cans for recycling.
The school’s senior assistant, Puan Safiah Hussin, said the project has provided an opportunity for the pupils to do something to save the environment.
The school’s Environment Club teacher Parames Jeganathan said the project had taught the pupils about the importance of looking after the school compound.
"Since we launched the project, the compound has been cleaner. There are more flowers," she said.
SAL Group of Colleges is another institution that has been active in collecting old newspapers for recycling.
Their seriousness is evident from the target that they has set for their newspaper collection - 35,000kg by the end of this year.
Its Environment Club president, Teo Kim Kee, who is pursuing a diploma in computing, said not only has he learnt to appreciate the environment but the collection of old newspapers has also brought him into contact with senior officials in these organisations.
For Trudy Mary Ranatunga, 18, who is the club secretary, it is only right that the younger generation do their bit to save the environment.
The chairman of SAL’s board of governors, Rashid Ghani, said the project is one of the best programmes on environment education and it has succeeded in creating public awareness.
He said the NST deserves a pat on its back for coming up with the project. Following the collection of old newspapers at hotels, the students are encouraged to go to the hotels and learn about landscaping and horticulture from experts there.
Source : New Straits Times, February 22 1993
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