June 2010 International Media Studies
Environmental Education
inWEnt/DW-Akademie- Print 1
by Amalia OGANJANYAN
Green mentality: plant the seeds early Germany is one of the leadest country in the climate change discussion and popularization of the green mentality. The green movement has changed the German society and is reflected in the educational system. How great is the role of environmental education in German schools? How does one bring up a child who respects the nature? The German educational system provides lessons and methods to shape environmental awareness on
different levels - from early childhood to higher education. This is a part of the state policy, not simply initiatives of the civil society. It is amazing to foreigners like me, who often don’t even give a thought to the effects of climate change. I come from Georgia, where environmental consciousness is still at the bottom of the “to do” list for ordinary citizens due to current vital problems.
Say hello to the forest!
Luisa with her kindergarten teacher
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et’s start small – they say in “Lilliput”, a kindergarten in the centre of Bonn. From early on, the kids are taught to take care of the nature through everyday activities. This is where the green mentality in Germany takes its roots. How does environmental education for the smallest ones actually work? They definitely don’t lead heated discussions on climate change and CO2 emissions. “We introduce children to little things on a daily basis: remember to turn off the water faucet, switch off the tape recorder when you are done with listening to a cassette and so on”, - a kindergarten teacher Hanna Winkhoff explains. She has been working at “Lilliput” for more than five years and stresses that it isn’t some special kindergarten with a bias in environmental education. Discussing these topics with the kids is common for kindergarten in Germany. Special are the so called “walddorf” (forest-countryside) kindergartens, where the children spend all day long outdoors. In Hanna’s opinion, these kids are likely to have troubles with in-
Hanna
tegration into school life later, since they are not used to sit still at a desk. “Lilliput” carries out special projects like visiting a garbage disposal. Once a month the older kids from 3 to 5 called “Drachenreiter”(dragon riders) take a walk in the woods. In the summer they make such trips daily - two weeks long. What can be a better way to get closer to the nature? So I decided to join the “dragon riders” and see the grassroots of environmental education. It was cold and rainy, which didn’t stop us from visiting the forest. t was a real camping trip: three kindergarten teachers and eighteen kids with their rucksacks full of equipment: mats, tents, thermos flasks. As the group reached its usual camping site, the kindergarteners dug out a hole in the ground: our toilet for the day. The children washed their hands with organic soap made of grains, “not to bring all the dirt back to the kindergarten”, as 4-year-old Marie proudly informed. We took our seats for the picknick. But before starting their breakfast, the hungry kids greeted the forest with
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a welcome song. After the meal everyone was free to run among trees, climb the hills, look for wild pigs or deer and enjoy the sparkling green world. DARIUS, 5, told me that nobody is allowed to hurt trees “otherwise there would be no trees left and it would be impossible to go through the forest”. Then he added in a very serious manner: “After I finish washing my hands, I always close off the water faucet. I have learned this myself.” All the kids know basic environmental rules, although they may sometimes forget, what color the garbage bin for the plastic is or why they must only use a certain place for toilet in the woods. However, the idea that they can go to the toilet anywhere in the wild doesn’t even cross their mind. And they are positively sure that they have to clean up their camping site after each meeting with the forest. A three-year-old, SILAS, explains that it’s not a good idea to throw garbage where one wants. In her turn, LUISA, who is five, says that if one always leaves the light on, the bulb would break. Not only does she take care of that, but also of her pet rabbit at home. Her peer PHILIP knows that “if we leave the water running, we won’t have enough when we are thirsty”. The childcare specialists assert that it is easy to teach the young ones to care about the nature, because this is commonly done in German families. DEBORA ASSENMACHER has been working in “Lilliput” for three years and is a student of pedagogy of early child-
hood in Koblenz. “Children grasp the information very quickly if you show them exactly what will happen if they don’t follow the rules. The nature is more important for the kids than for us, adults. We build up the foundation”, she says. How crucial this foundation is realizes SUSAN SCHILLING, the mother of three-year-old Frida. “In our family we try to shop for regional food and ride our bicycles. In complement, “Lilliput” does a lot to engage the children into the topic. Should a child want to know more, she or he could always find a special ecological school. But in the first place it’s important to turn environmental protection into a habit”, says Susan, who works at a solar enterprise in Bonn.
Kids exploring the forest MIGUEL GARCIA, an archive worker and the father of Luis, 8, a former “Lilliput”-er, says that it is important for the kids to understand how their actions could directly affect the climate and learn to be responsible for it. “My son is especially active in saving water: he knows what it costs”, Miguel sums up.
„I convinced my father to use eco-electricity“ A
14-year-old pupil - There were different of the Niederreasons that triggered me. Olm Gymnasium ANNA The topic Climate change ORTMAN is a member of is getting more and more a Mainz-Wiesbaden local acute, and I love and respect environmental activist nature. I strongly believe group Greenpeace-youth. that we must do something What does her Greenpeace against the environmental life look like? threats before it’s too - Our group consists late. But one man alone is of 11 teenagers from 14 powerless;- only united we to 19 years old and meets can achieve feasible results. once in two weeks. We It was also my dog Nele, plan activities, design and who made me interested in draw posters for street protecting nature. initiatives, stage a theater I get so much motivation performance, which is very and positive energy from Anna likes to spend time funny, share information our Greenpeace activities. with her pet Nele on environmental events I’m not afraid to go public. of relevant organizations. And I would continue being At the end of April I took part in a a part of Greenpeace. protest against atom energy. Our poster - Is there any special courses dedicated symbolized, how beautiful our world to the environmental issues at your school? would be without nuclear plants and how - No, just so called environmental group they pollute it. work, which is optional. But everybody - What made you join Greenpeace? knows about the Greenpeace, we’ve had it
as a topic in some classes. - Are you just as environmentally active at home? - I do my best to save energy and water the plants with rainwater. I hate it when somebody at school plays with paper, makes paper balls and then simply throws them away. Even if one side of a paper sheet has already been used, I use the other one as well. - Was it your family that shaped your environmental consciousness? - This attitude comes partially from my family, but partially it is my own world view. Actually, my father was skeptical about my environmental involvement at first. Although he has nothing against nature protection he doesn’t support our principles to fight against nuclear plants. He argues that this would make Germany more dependent on Russian gas. However I managed to convince him to switch to eco-electricity! My mother supports my ideas - she even gave me a ride to our protest action site. My little sister hasn’t expressed any interest in environmental organizations yet.
E x p e rt O p i n i o n
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rofess o r . GERHARD DE HAAN, Free University of Berlin, Chairman of the German Association for the Environmental Education and scientific adviser of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety: ”The term „environmental education“ has evolved into “education for sustainable development”. This new concept includes not only environmental but also social and economic aspects. Besides the threats for humanity it is concerned with modernization through creativity. Environmental education is mostly spread in schools. It’s an obligatory topic in the curriculum, but it depends on the school system regulations in every German state. Moreover, each school has its own specialization. I wouldn’t say that Germany is perfect in the environmental or sustainable education: only 15 % of the schools specialize in this issue - it’s not enough. However, it’s difficult to enact environmental projects at schools because of lack of time and complexity of the topic. On the other hand, we have enough educational materials. There is no special course at schools dedicated solely to environmental issues. This has to be taught either in ecology or biology classes and be included in some interdisciplinary lessons. Other fields like higher education, kindergartens or professional education are still lacking in this regard”.
Message from Georgia
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KA BENDELIANI of the ministry for Environmental protection and Natural resources of Georgia on environmental education: “We organize actions like “Plant a tree, make your environment green!”, “Plastic bags are enemies of the nature” involving students, pupils and teachers nationwide. Together with GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit) we carry out an initiative called „An hour of garden birds“, where teachers and pupils observe and interpret the behavior of birds. In the same partnership we educate about the Red list of Georgia. Our ministry cooperates with young environmental protectionists - we founded a students’ ”Green club”, for instance, where young people set up conferences and ecocamps, arrange and protect ecological paths.”