VALUE EDUCATION

VALUE EDUCATION

Value Based Environmental Education:

Let us see how environmental education be made value-oriented:

1. Human Values:

Preparation of text-books and resource materials about environmental education can play an important role in building positive attitudes about environment. The basic human value ‘man in nature’ rather than ‘nature for man’ needs to be infused through the same.

2. Social Values:

Love, compassion, tolerance and justice which are the basic teachings of most of our religions need to be woven into environmental education. These are the values to be nurtured so that all forms of life and the biodiversity on this earth are protected.

3. Cultural and Religious Values:

These are the values enshrined in Vedas like ‘Dehi me dadami te’ i.e. “you give me and 1 give you” (Yajurveda) emphasize that man should not exploit nature without nurturing her. Our cultural customs and rituals in many ways teach us to perform such functions as would protect and nurture nature and respect every aspect of nature, treating them as sacred, are it rivers, earth, mountains or forests.

4. Ethical Values:

Environmental education should encompass the ethical values of earth-centric rather than human-centric world-view. The educational system should promote the earth-citizenship thinking. Instead of considering human being as supreme we have to think of the welfare of the earth.

5. Global Values:

The concept that the human civilization is a part of the planet as a whole and similarly nature and various natural phenomena over the earth are interconnected and inter-linked with special bonds of harmony. If we disturb this harmony anywhere there will be an ecological imbalance leading to catastrophic results.

6. Spiritual Values:

Principles of self-restraint, self-discipline, contentment, reduction of wants, freedom from greed and austerity are some of the finest elements intricately woven into the traditional and religious fabric of our country. All these values promote conservationism and transform our consumeristic approach.