Environment School Course Needs Specialized Teachers

A number of faculty members and university graduates in the field of environment studies have demanded in a letter to the Ministry of Education their right to teach the "Human and Environment" course book recently added to the school curriculum.

Based on an agreement between the Department of Environment and the ministry, the new course book was prepared and introduced for students of all fields in 11th grade to foster a culture of respect for nature among the young generation, Zist Online reported.

However, complainants criticize the education authorities for appointing geography graduates as teachers of the course.

The decision compelled 30,000 graduates and 60 academic staff throughout the country to submit a letter to the ministry, claiming their statutory right to work in their field of study.

The letter states that graduates of non-environment majors are not sufficiently trained on the specific concepts of environment, including aquatic species, wildlife, water issues, energy and ecosystems.

Unwise decisions will spoil the rationale behind the project and nullify the book's targeted effect, they wrote.

The protesters are making efforts to convince the ministry to revise the decision in support of employing graduates of environmental disciplines.

Reportedly, "Human and Environment" is the first educational book on the subject whose content has been designed in collaboration with DOE experts and is aimed at making students become aware of the troubles facing Iran’s environment. Kioumars Kalantari, the head of DOE's Education Office, had earlier told ISNA that educational material on environment conservation are envisioned in three simple packages for pre-school, for first to 10th grade and a separate course book for 11th grade.

The latter was launched in the current Iranian academic year (started Sept. 23, 2017).

The purpose of the plan is to increase familiarity with environmental issues and teach ways of protecting the nature from the first stage of education. It can also help educators and students develop a deeper understanding of ecological problems and realize the importance of environmental conservation.

Officials believe injudicious behavior toward nature is mostly rooted in ignorance and the only remedy is to raise public awareness about the critical conditions of the country's natural environment and foster an eco-friendly culture from the early stages of life.