The first nationwide Environment Education Program in the form of learning workshops began Monday at the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in Tehran.
It will educate pre-school teachers of children aged 4-6 years on the basics of the environment, and enable them to transfer knowledge into positive environmental action in their own schools and communities, ILNA reported.
Pre-school teachers with degrees in majors related to pre-school children’s growth and care are qualified.
“Given the global as well as national need to sustain the environment, natural resources, and its preservation for future generations, and the necessity to raise awareness from a young age, particularly for kindergarten and pre-school children, the university decided to conduct the didactic workshops,” said Najmosadat Mousavi, faculty member and an executive manager of the program.
Basically, the project provides teachers and their assistants with environmental information to adequately prepare them for the future custodianship of the environment.
Global research suggests that environmental education brings a slew of benefits.
It helps build critical thinking and relationship skills as environment-based education emphasizes specific critical thinking skills central to good science – questioning, investigating, forming hypotheses, interpreting data, analyzing, developing conclusions, and solving problems. In addition, proximity to nature, access to views of nature, and daily exposure to natural settings increases the ability of children to focus, and improves cognitive abilities.
“Today, the subject of environment is one of the main social responsibilities that affect health, equality, justice, and quality of life,” said Maryam Sharifian, head of the university’s department of social welfare education.
“Children constitute the target group in creating and promoting social welfare, and educating them on environmental issues is crucial since the outcome of growth and social conduct is institutionalized in early years.”
Head of the department of development of pre-school children, Mansoureh Karimzadeh, noted that pre-school is the golden period of a child’s life, where they are prepared for civil life, safeguarding natural resources, and respecting the rights of future generations.
The project is fundamental as it raises children to view environmental sustainability with value, while institutionalizing the culture in future generations, Mousavi said.
