DoE action plan to sensitise kids about pollution

Issues guidelines to schools to ensure students think about environment

The Directorate of Education (DoE) has come up with an action plan to sensitise and educate schoolchildren about the health hazards and ill-effects of breathing polluted air, including air that is polluted due to fireworks.

The Education Department had on Monday issued guidelines for schools to contribute to the improvement of air quality.

As per the guidelines, the celebration of festivals should take place during the day to “avoid using more energy” and to protect the environment from pollutants.

Burning of crackers has been prohibited during such occasions, read the circular, and awareness sessions should be held in the weeks preceding Dussehra and Diwali to sensitise children towards the environmental and health hazards caused by burning crackers.

The themes and topics for science exhibitions and fairs should be associated with the environment, read the circular.

Environment themed declamations, debates and quiz contests should also be organised occasionally.

Eco-clubs

Eco-clubs of all the schools should focus on issues related to reducing pollution and planting more trees, said the department.

There should be special lectures in the school assembly on the health hazards emanating from polluted air. The inspection schedule of the schools should also include the role of teachers in disseminating information on pollution control and the importance of high air quality, read the guidelines issued by the department.

Members of School Management Committee (SMC) and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) should generate awareness about the importance of pollution-free environment, it further read.

All the programmes and activities thus prescribed by the Education Department are to be continued throughout the academic session.