Incorporating energy subjects in syllabuses and educating schoolchildren about the necessity of power and water conservation will go a long way compared to exempting schools from paying utility bills, the energy minister said.
“There are almost 123,000 state-run schools that consume at least 900 million kilowatt hours of power a year,” Reza Ardakanian was quoted as saying by ILNA.
In 2019 parliament obliged the government to exempt schools from paying utility bills if they use water and electricity within a specific limit.
The Energy Ministry is willing to help schools cover a part of their water and electricity bills, but (based on experience) supplying schools free water and electricity would have a negative effect on the children’s training.
When water and electricity are consumed free and excessively in schools “it would obviously be difficult to convince children to use energy wisely,” the minister said.
Energy conservation has become a major concern in most nations, and every individual, regardless of age, must be informed about judicious consumption and the crucial need for conservation for future generations.
“Energy literacy is indispensable to sustainable development, which can be fostered and improved by formal energy education,” he said, and added that to achieve this goal energy literacy in schools must be promoted in a systematic manner and a long-term policy that Iran’s education system lacks.
It is true that adults are responsible for paying energy bills but this does not imply that children should be oblivious to conservation efforts and education, he said.
“In our view it is a wrong policy to provide education centers free electricity and water. Teaching schoolchildren critical conservation subjects is a pragmatic approach to help contain the energy crisis.”
Need to Appreciate
The minister stressed that so long as energy and water education is not embedded in school programs, kids will not appreciate the true worth of valuable resources.
According to Ardakanian, children spend sufficient time in school and so it is important that they also learn about ways and means to avoid profligate use of energy and embrace preservation concepts.
Schools too stand to benefit from proper energy education as it would reflect on their normally tight budgets and help save money for important teaching and training needs.
Schoolchildren should be feel a sense of purpose and achievement for helping conserve energy and money.
“Students should also be taught that they can use the good consumption patterns at home and help reduce family expenses. They should be empowered to be able to impart energy knowledge and its advantages to their families.”
The minister said of the 850 million cubic meters of natural gas produced per day about 600 mcm/d is used in households and commercial sectors.
“If the profligate habits don’t change Iran will have to import energy in the near future,” he warned, echoing the views of academia, prominent economists and environmentalists
Average global electricity consumption rises by less than 3% per annum, he recalled. In Iran demand for power jumps to over 6% a year -- a pattern that is a serious concern among experts, environmentalists and conservationists long pleading for effective action to control consumption and cut waste.
Official data show that while global energy consumption increased 27% in the past decade, Iran's overall energy use jumped 80% in the same period – a clarion call for energy managers and the seemingly indifferent consumers.
The imprudence and waste has made Iran the 18th largest power consumer in the world – a stark reality that will soon impose prohibitive costs few can or will be able to afford.
