Reflect On Environmental Education In The Middle And Primary Schools And Developing Strategies For It

With the emergence of the serious environmental problems, environmental education has also developed at the same time. It is one of the most important means of solving the problems of environment. Indeed it is an essential element for sustainable development. What's more, it is an important ingredient of any good education. In our country, environmental education has started and matured because of the initiation and development of environmental protection. The Chinese government worked out <> in1994. <> gave the new meaning to the purpose and significance of education in the middle and primary schools, and also came up with new requests for education in the middle and primary schools. The country's ability of sustainable development depends on not only university education or special education, but also on the improvement of people's quality and the consciousness of environment and harmonious development between men and nature, which can make the new century erectors have the responsibility for environment and ability to take part in sustainable development. Cultivating the above kind of new century erectors is the responsibility of elementary education at present times; it is also an important problem to be solved well in the new century reforms of elementary education; meanwhile, it is a problem which should be paid more attention to in the process of education development. Environmental education is now well developed and being carried out in the middle and primary schools since the 1970s when it was first introduced in teaching program,but the result of this education was not what was expected. The social system, cultural background, individual perceptions and education factors led to unexpected results. Compared with the real result of environmental education in the middle and primary schools, the effect of the damage to environment is far worse what theenvironmental education can do. This naturally led us to reflect on the effectiveness of our environmental education.In order to stimulate environmental education in the middle and primary schools to go forward further, and also to make the target of the sustainable development come true, I chose environmental education in the middle and primary schools to be my question for study. First, I looked up reading materials; secondly, I did investigations of the students, their parents and teachers; thirdly, I interviewed the people who are responsible for environmental education. In doing so, my research became more reasonable and believable. Of course, reading, investigation and interview are the process of research .On the basis of my research of the problems which I found out from environmental education, I put forward some useful and effective strategies. The thesis is divided into three parts. In Part I, I look back at the change of environmental education in the middle and primary schools. It contains three main points: 1) The background of its coming; 2) The process of its development; 3) The enlightenment of its change. In Part II, I elaborate on the present conditions of environmental education in the middle and primary schools. It includes three main points: (1) The present conditions in foreign countries and the experience from foreign countries; (2) The present conditions in China and analyzing it; (3) The comparison between home and overseas and the reasons for differences. In Part III, I put forward the following useful and effective strategies according to the above analysis: (1) Building up the supporting system of the society; (2) Setting up rational curriculum; (3) Carrying out environmental education effectually; (4) Emphasizing the training for teachers.