Students are delving deeper into issues; topic of study includes renewable energy
Ong Dai Lin, Today Online 20 Feb 09;
THEY are no longer only learning about how to save electricity or the importance of plants in nature.
Primary school children are now delving deeper into environmental issues and studying topics such as climate change and renewable energy.
At Nanyang Primary School, for instance, Primary 1 students learn about global warming through using recycled materials to create art during their art lessons.
Their upper primary counterparts learn about the recycling of water and ways of energy conservation, said the school’s principal, Madam Heng Boey Hong.
Primary school principals interviewed by Today said they see more attention being spent on teaching students about these issues because of the growing importance of caring for our environment.
Dr Irene Ho, principal of Balestier Hill Primary School, said: “The general awareness of climate change has been widely discussed and promoted through the media. Many schools, through encouragement by the Ministry of Education (MOE), have been actively implementing their own environment programme.”
A MOE spokeswoman said: “At the primary and secondary level, students are taught topics like various types of energy and alternative sources of renewable energy through subjects like Social Studies, Science, Geography and English.
“Through lessons and class discussions related to these topics, students learn about the detrimental effects of non-renewable energy on the environment and the climate, as well as the threat that man faces from the depletion of such energy.”
Even pre-schoolers are getting a peek into the world of Mother Earth.
Last November, the National Environment Agency announced that it would be distributing a Pre-school Environmental Education Kit (PEEK) to 500 PAP kindergartens.
The kit is in the form of a 35-page story book that weaves in environmental topics like environmental degradation, pollution, wastage of resources and deforestation.
Still, more can be done to teach young children about the environment, said educators at primary schools.
The Head of Department (Science) at Henry Park Primary School, Mrs Sia Song Ling, suggested: “Other than areas like Social Studies and National Education, materials published and used in schools like textbooks can be enhanced to include more local context.
“For example, endangered or extinct local flora and fauna could be used as examples in science materials.”
Dr Ho said: “Alternative energy sources have been an urgent issue lately. Many countries have embarked on research and development in this field. It would be timely if the MOE can consider including this area in the school syllabus.”
