Why is Environmental Education important for Students?

Smartphones, iPads, laptops and iPods rule the twenty-first century, don’t they? No wonder children, teens and even adults are dedicated users of technology nowadays. So it can be safely stated that Gen-Y spends a major portion of its life indoors, ‘plugged-in’ to electronic gadgets. While you are grateful that technology has simplified our lives, you must also know that it is gradually disconnecting us from the natural world!

Let me also add that the consequences of this isolation can prove to be disastrous. Childhood obesity, stress, attention disorder, depression and aggressiveness are just some of the common ailments that are caused by lack of physical activity. This kind of detachment from the natural environment is also one of the factors triggering a drop in grades at school for some students.

However, there is hope. Nowadays, a large number of schools have introduced Environmental Education as a part of their curriculum, making it a compulsory subject. It deals with studies associated with Mother Nature, natural resources and the relationship between man and nature. When you start learning about your environment, you start growing up into being more responsible human beings. Now let us know more about why Environmental Education is important for students:

• Makes students enthusiastic: Quite often, classroom lectures tend to become a bit boring. This subject can be a welcome break to students as it is a sharp contrast from subjects like Math, History, English or Science. This is simply because students are really interested in knowing about their natural world. This automatically improves their writing skills as young learners are always enthusiastic about expressing their newly found knowledge!

• Helps build critical thinking skills: Critical thinking is essential to answering questions and even while solving Math problems. Did you know that studying about your environment helps you build good critical thinking skills? Let us see how it works. When you question, interpret, analyze and evaluate certain topics associated with this subject, you start developing the power of metacognition. After all, you become more matured when you begin to study about real-world subjects.

• Promotes leadership: Most of you must have been instructed to work in group projects or other field events as part of your assignments while studying this subject. Participating in such collaborative activities promotes strong leadership skills among students. This enables them to solve real-life issues, develop team spirit and smart networking skills as well as being receptive to the opinion or ideas of every member in a group.

• Improves test scores: Most teachers who teach Environmental Education take students out on field trips. Such trips might include visits to a nearby park, wildlife sanctuary, wetlands and so on and equip you with good social skills. Another advantage of such outings is that you derive practical experience about your surroundings! Moreover, you return relaxed and ready to learn other subjects with greater resolution that increases your chances of achieving higher test scores.

• Motivates students to be problem-solvers: Since this subject deals with real-life scenarios, you are more exposed to events that require intelligent problem-solving skills. It assists you in thinking critically about any question, Math problem or any other topic associated with academics and making your own choice. At the same time, you also become quick-witted enough to come up with instant solutions for any problem that might appear in your daily life.

• Encourages independent learning: Generally, teachers use lectures to explain to students about a particular concept or chapter. However, this might turn out to be monotonous after a point of time. The project-based form of education adopted by Environmental Education instructors lets students understand and retain a topic for a longer duration as compared to traditional teaching techniques. Therefore, students are encouraged to be self-directed and quick learners.

• Interests unresponsive students: At times, even the brightest student loses interest in his studies. This happens especially if he finds that the subject he is currently studying is hardly relevant to his daily life! But, when the same student is taught about living creatures and the natural resources around him, he starts enjoying his lessons once again! Projects, field trips and practical knowledge add an element of excitement to the process of learning for most learners.

When youngsters start knowing about nature, they would start falling in love with her. This would prevent them from disturbing the ecological balance and respecting all life forms around them. So, not only would your academic performance shoot up, but even your role as a human being would become more responsible when you study Environmental Education.

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