Mădălina Jumugă
The importance of ecology in biological education is well reported. Documents on environmental education assume that ecology is an essential part of the education of all pupils.
Ecology is defined as the scientific study of the inter-dependence of all organisms in an ecosystem and is the fundamental basis for understanding that human activity in the environment can influence the whole ecosystem.
So, how important is the environment in our everyday life and what impact we have on it and what can you do as a student? There is no need to mention how radical our lives have changed in the last decades due to the ignorance we gave to the eco-friendly aspects.
Ecological education is a process that aims to improve the quality of life by providing people with the right “tools” they need to solve and prevent environmental problems. Environmental education can help people gain the knowledge, skills, motivations, values and commitment they need to efficiently manage their earth’s resources and take responsibility for maintaining environmental quality.
Also, ecological education shows you how to go green and how you should not impose a certain kind of thinking on people, it can help people learn how to think – including how to solve problems, make decisions, weigh options and align values with personal actions. Ecological education is also a practice, in the sense of learning things like planting a tree to reduce consumption, or how to live, producing a negative impact on the environment as little as possible. But what would be the specific things we can do at school? Here’s a short list of them, whether you’re a parent, teacher or pupil:
- Meat-free Mondays – Help the planet and promote healthy food by going meat-free (even if it’s just one day of the week!). This includes ideas for teachers, tips for students, information for parents and advice for caterers on how to go meat free.
- Grow your own – Growing and harvesting food is both rewarding and educational. Dedicate a patch of school grounds for growing food and teaching pupils about the importance of where our food comes from.
- Food waste diary – Encourage children to keep a weekly food waste diary, recording what food they waste, how much and why it’s wasted.
- Hold a plastic-waste assembly – Encourage pupils to collect and bring in all the single-use plastic their family generates in a week, to raise awareness on the issue of plastic pollution in a visually striking and tangible way.
- Become an Eco School – Take it to the next level and register your school to become an Eco School or Plastic Free School. Beginning with this year, Just 4 Kids Green Campus focuses on sustainability and reducing environmental impact. From solar panels and recycling systems to energy efficient buildings and green spaces, we have implemented a range of green solutions.
In conclusion, ecological education is essential in promoting environmental awareness and inspiring a more sustainable future. By empowering students with knowledge and skills, schools can inspire them to take action and make a positive impact on the environment.