246 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Introduction
Today, educationists have come to realize that the immediate Environment is a wonderful
curriculum laboratory providing extremely dynamic, interesting and real life opportunities
for learning. In its historical records every Environment has the stories of people and
resources woven into the pattern of national development. Basic social processes and problems
operate in every Environment in action for or against. As we investigate social problems
they become concrete in our own communities. Thus, the Environment provides concrete
data on cultural, industrial, political and geographical facts and relationships. As these data
are tangible, seeable and describable the school should take itself to the Environment,
regard it as laboratory, discover its resources, understand its culture, appreciate its problems
and also suggest solutions to these problems. Through the use of resource people, field trips,
environment surveys, service projects, etc. it should open doors for experience for a child to
have knowledge about the factories and farms, social agencies and museums, council sessions
and union meetings.
The school and the Environment must work together in the process of education in a
co-operative and collective quest. In the absence of this living, dynamic relationship between
the two, education will be anemic, unreal, and unable to make any abiding impact on the
mind and character of children. The life of the Environment is powerfully influenced by
social purposes the techniques of production, knowledge and culture. Not able to keep pace
with these changes and adjust its programmers to them the school becomes an outdated,
backward looking agency. Modern school cannot be an island in the midst of the Environment.
It must enrich the Environment and the Environment must support it. The two-way traffic
should not only be possible but also pleasant and useful.
“Let us study the Environment, use the Environment, serve the Environment and
involve the Environment in the educational process.” Let Environment Education reform
shall start with the relining of the school to Environment and the restoring the intimate
relationship with the environment.
246CHAPTER
Environmental Science : Field Trip