ENVIRONMENT CARE-INTRODUCE GARDENING AS A SCHOOL COURSE

With the entire world focused on ways to protect the environment, a school student from Hyderabad had a unique proposal: introduce Gardening as a subject in schools, to bring students closer towards environment protection and care.



The proposal was made by a school student, Nidhi, from Vijay Residential School (VRS), Hyderabad, during the three-day National Conference on Environment for schools students from across India here at the North Eastern Hill University Convention centre today. About 500 students and teachers from different schools are participating in this Conference called, PEAS.



Nidhi said the importance of gardening is normally overlooked, but if it is introduced as a separate course in schools and even colleges, it would not only help in Botany and other classes, but most importantly bring students closer to nature.



“Most schools, colleges have gardens which are maintained by the gardeners, this responsibility must be shifted to the students where they water and care for the flowers and other plants. This would definitely bring students closer to the environment in terms of protection and care,” Nidhi said.

Calling environment as her first teacher, Nidhi said her attention towards music was drawn by the “songs of the birds.” “I am learning music and dance and it was the birds that first attracted my attention towards these activities, so the environment is my first teacher,” she said proudly.



Nidhi’s school principal, Vijay Rani feels that her ward’s proposal is not only unique, but is urgently required to be implemented in the country. “This idea of gardening as a course would definitely attract children's interest towards protection and care for the environment,” Rani added.



Apart from sharing ideas amongst fellow students on ways to protect the environment, the organizers have also asked students to bring waste, so that it could be demonstrate how these could be reused.



“I have brought coconut husk and cardboard from old diaries and would be demonstrating how these can be made into beautiful pen stands and picture frames,” Nidhi added.



Deepak Mishra, Sishir Mishra and Imran Alam, the team from Assam Rifles Public Schools, Laitkor, on the other hand have brought wrappers, bottles, shoe polish and deodorant cans, which could be reused meaningfully.

Similar demonstrations would be undertaken by students from other schools in the workshop with their litter during the workshop called “zero litter” slated later for the day.