Green Schools Programme manual goes regional…
While the Hindi version of the manual is already doing the rounds in the northern and central states of India, the Kannada edition was launched in Bangalore on 25 August 2008, in collaboration with the Karataka state nodal office of the National Green Corps.
CSE has been conducting the Gobar Times Green Schools Programme for three years now. Under this initiative, schools across India have carried out a rigorous self-audit on environmental practices within their own premises, following a set of guidelines outlined in CSE’s Green Schools Manual. The schools have, very effectively, made use of this manual in their environmental study programmes and as an activity for the eco-clubs. Students from middle and senior levels, have rated their schools and given marks on the basis of this audit. The result is a ‘report card’ of the schools, prepared by their own students. The aim of this rating has been, in particular, to understand what can be done to improve the school’s performance on its environmental sustainability index and implement these steps in the coming years.
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The press is already upbeat about the implementation of the programme |
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The response to this programme has been quite overwhelming. All institutions affiliated to the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathana, the National Green Corps in Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Maharashtra, the Delhi Public Schools Society, and several other public and private education societies are now a part of the Green Schools network. CSE is really impressed by their meticulously prepared report cards, which not only contain interesting, authentic data, but also assure that schools can be used as effective tools to spread the message of wise-use of natural resources among Indian citizens.
In an effort to reach more schools in rural and remote areas, CSE has started producing regional language versions of the Green Schools Programme manual. 
The Gobar Times team did a quick stock-taking. Were the regional versions really required? It was important because several others including Punjabi, Marathi and Gujarati are now on the anvil. The team spoke to the teachers in Bangalore city who attended the launch and finally the master trainers or the district level government trainers who were trained by the Green Schools Programme team four months ago. Here is a snapshot.
Question
Do you think that the Kannada translation of the Green Schools Programme manual is useful for schools in Karnataka state?
H A Madhavrao
Teacher, Bangalore City
Definitely ‘Yes’. The Kannada translation of the Green Schools programme manual will enable the rural schools of Karnataka to get involved in the programme.
Janet S Priya
Teacher, Bangalore City
Not only will the Kannada version encourage village schools to adopt it but the other unique feature of the Green Schools Programme is that its implementation requires no money. The results of the green schools audit are also tangible.
Resource people from Centre for Science and Environment have already trained District level master trainers in Karnataka. This is what they have to say about the Gobar Times Green Schools programme.
The Environment Education Unit at the Centre for Science and Enviroment is eagerly awaiting the announcement of the state-level GT-GSP Award ceremony in Karnataka.
Interviews of master trainers.
- How do you plan to implement the Green Schools Programme in your district?
- How will the Kannada translation help you in taking the programme to schools in your district?
- What kind of help do you need from CSE to take the programme forward in your district?
Shri K. H. Mujawar
Government PU College for Girls, Bagalkote
- With the help of the District Department of Public Instruction I have already conducted two Green Schools Training programmes in the district. The first training programme for three talukas had 140 teachers while the other three talukas were represented by 125 teachers.
- With the Kannada translation of the Green Schools Programme manual the communication and understanding of the concepts is clearer, especially with teachers from rural areas.
- The Centre for Science and Environment should send one resource person for the trainings at the District level for the training programmes to become more effective.
Shri B. Sujaya Kumar
C.R. Balarapatria High School, Ramasamudra, Chamrajanagar
- I and the Science Subject Inspector plan to conduct training at the district level. We could not do this as yet because of the semester exams. But we plan to do it now.
- The Kannada translation of the Green School Programme manual helps in taking the programme to more schools because the medium of instruction in most schools is Kannada.
- CSE should issue some guidelines for training teachers at the District level.
Shri Manjunath K. S.
Government High School, Manne, Nelamangala Tq, Bangalore Rural
- I have not been able to conduct training programmes in my district because there is no cooperation from the district level authorities.
- Translating the Green Schools Programme manual in Kannada will help a lot in taking the programme to schools in rural and semi-urban areas of Karnataka.
- It would be great if CSE could get some kind of order issued at the district level to enable me to seek cooperation from district authorities to conduct the programme.
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