18 Feb 2015

Participants who attended the just-ended two-day seminar at Centre Lodge in Maun have underscored the need to raise the profile of Environmental Education (EE) programme in the country.

They also suggested that policies should be harmonised and be made compatible, adding that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) requires that students be transported in buses and not open vehicles while on the other hand the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) allows only 4x4 vehicles in their parks for safety reasons. 

Stakeholders said the government policies should complement each other for the effective implementation of the EE programme in schools.

The EE program allows individuals to acquire the knowledge, understanding and gain awareness on their environment. 

The seminar heard that despite efforts made by DWNP to promote education on natural resources and create awareness among Batswana, some schools continued to encounter environmental mishaps.

 They argued that EE program was not effective in some schools due to lack of commitment by both teachers and students when visiting protected areas.

Stakeholders also learnt that MoESD had started viewing these trips as solely for leisure hence no subsistence was paid to teachers undertaking such trips. The idea to introduce EE in schools originated from the Revised National Policy on Education of 1994, which called for the infusion of EE in subjects.

The seminar resolved that the DWNP should approach their counterparts at MOESD and come up with a workable solution to ensure that all could holistically see conservation of the environment in its totality.

 They further suggested that EE should be included in schools’ curriculum as a subject and not infused in subjects. Giving background on the EE programme, Mr Lordick Mothobi chairperson NW Regional Evnviroeducation committee explained that the initiative has always existed through indigenous knowledge such as totems, norms and beliefs.

He noted that Botswana has set aside 17 per cent of land for game reserves and National Parks hence the establishment of Wildlife Conservation Unit in the early 70s, whose role included promotion of education on natural resources and creation of awareness. 

Under the programme, the DWNP aimed at promoting learners’ environmental awareness to make them appreciate the existing natural resources, he said. 

The department, he added also make them aware of the effect of the peoples’ action on the environment and mobilise students to address environmental issues and change attitudes towards specific environmental issues. ENDS