This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Project paper John Pillai 1994 John P. (1994). Project paper. In AMIC‑ECOS Seminar on Urbanization, Sustainable Development and the Media: Singapore, Apr 8‑9, 1994. Singapore: Asian Media Information and Communication Centre. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/93185 Downloaded on 26 Sep 2021 22:20:21 SGT ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Project Paper By John Pillai Paper No.16 ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library oNE W STRAITS TIMES NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION in collaboration with MINISTRY OF EDUCATION Patron of Protect: YB DatuK Amar Cr Suiaiman Daua. =duc30on Minister Malaysia Chief Adviser : Datuk Dr Wan Monc Zania Mona Noordin. Director-General of Education PROJECT PAPER by JOHN PELLAI New Straits Times specialist writer and Organising Secretary New Straits Times National Environmental Education Young Action for the Future: Saving the Earth through Environmental Education By JOHN PILLAT Thousands of students in Malaysia, a small multi-racial independent democracy in Southeast Asia, are setting a fine example doing their bit to help the environment and save the Earth. The students whose ages range from six to 23 years, are planting trees, setting up nature gardens and mini-parks, cleaning up rivers and lakes, collecting old newspapers and other items for recycling and carrying out various other activities to protect, promote and preserve the environment. ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library And all these on-going activities are being carried out under a massive national-level project launched in February 1992 jointly by the Education Ministry of Malaysia and the nation's leading English language daily newspaper, the New Straits Times. The project is known as the National Environmental Education Programme. The newspaper's parent company. The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, (NSTP) assigned this writer to prepare a detailed project paper on how the company could collaborate with the Malaysian Education Ministry, the private sector and voluntary non-governmental organisations to inculcate love for the environment and cultivate positive attitudes in the young generation of Malaysia through simple but practical hands-on activities. A project paper on this was prepared and presented by this writer to the Malaysian Education Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sulaiman Daud explaining how this aim was to be achieved. The project has been given the full blessing by his Ministry and is being actively promoted in the country's primary (elementary) and secondary (high) schools, teacher-training colleges and universities. The Minister is the patron of the whole project, and the Director-General of Education of Malaysia, Datuk Dr Wan Mohamad Zahid Mohamad Noordin is the Chief Adviser. The projecf s main objectives are instilling environmental awareness and appreciation, and laying the foundation for generating a society which will have the knowledge and the capability to care for and act responsibly to protect the environment. The approach is a very informal and action-oriented one. The formal aspect of teaching environmental education through an integrated approach is left to the classroom teacher. And since the launching of the project, thousands of students throughout the country, both from Government as well as private education institutions, have shown their strong commitment to environmental action. The students have formed Environmental Clubs and are carrying out a host of activities. The boys and girls and turning any bare piece of land they find in their school compound into environmentally friendly gardens. They bring to their schools seedlings, flowering plants and natural fertilisers made through compost; and working on week-ends and during their free time give their school compounds a garden-like atmosphere. To encourage as many students as possible to take part in this project known as School-ih-a- Garden, a nation-wide competion was held to see which schools in the country could come with the most innovative gardens from the environmental and educational point of view. This competition was sponsored by Malaysia's leading oil company, Petronas (Petronas Nasional Berhad). Attractive prizes were given. Another major activity being carried out by the students is the collection of old newspapers to be sold for recycling. The students bring old newspapers from their homes to their schools. Vans and lorries are sent by the NSTP to the schools to collect these papers. They are weighed and sold to private companies dealing with recycling. The money obtained from the sale is given back to the schools to enable them to carry out more environmental activities. A portion of the money is used by NSTP to supply on a daily basis current copies of its newspapers to the schools. ATTENTIONT: oT hdatee Sing, aalmospore Cotp ytwrigoht Ametrict appcl ietons tos t hoe fu sole dof tnewspaperhis documents. Nhavanyaen gbee Tecnh ncollecteological Udn ivundeersity rL ibthirarsy programme. And hopefully, some trees would be saved somewhere. It is our hope that this programme will help to harness the energies of these young people _ the decision-makers of tomorrow for environmental action and thus catalyse others into more environmental action, triggering a multiplier reaction from the school compound to the community and to the nation. Copies of the project paper have been sent to all schools, colleges and universities. The writer also goes round the country giving talks and explaining what the project is all about to various education institutions. "* Nation-wide publicity is further given through regular articles and photographs which are published in the various newspapers of the NSTP, such as The New Straits Times, Malay Mail, New Sunday Times, Sunday Mail, Berita Harian, Berita Minggu, Harian Metro and Shin Min Daily News. Another interesting activity being carried out (at the moment on a small scale but later to be expanded) is to help clean up some sections of rivers, beaches and compounds in residential areas. They collect various items of litter, put them in refuse bags and place them at designated collection points. The students carefully identify the items they collect, classifying them into biodegradable and non­ biodegradable ones. They also trace the source of the pollutants — usually houses and factories by the river banks. The NST gets sponsors to provide snacks and drinks for the students when they embark on such projects. The students write reports, complete with maps, charts, photographs, etc of all their projects. They will submit these later in the year as entries for yet another competition to be organised. An interesting development of the whole project is that the students are getting spontaneous support from Parent-Teacher Associations, Residential Associations, commercial houses, Non- Governmental Organisations and even individuals. It is our hope to get as many students as possiblein Malaysia's 10,000 primary and 5,000 secondary schools, 28 teacher-training colleges and the seven universities to take part Current indications are very encouragiong. By making them play a role for nature, we hope to nurture the students to be fully aware of the importance of the environment. By making them personally do something for the environment, it is hoped that they will acquire more knowledge and skills and develop positive values and attitudes. In short, we are training and preparing our young people to save the Earth by caring for it now. (*John Pillai is a journalist specialising in issues pertaining to Environment, Drug Abuse and Education. He is a former high school teacher. Currently he is also the Orgainsing Secretary/Project Coordinator of the National Environmental Education Programme. For another major project that he undertook in the 1980s, called Newspaper in Education, he was awarded the First Prize by Unesco- Asian Cultural Organisation for promoting literacy through the newspaper.) ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library EW STRAITS TIMES NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Editorial Department Balai Berita 31,Jalan Riong 59100 Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library Dear National Environmental Education Programme I am happy to inform you that I have formulated a national-level environmental education programme for students at all levels in Malaysia — primary, secondary, teacher-training college and university. The main aim is to inculcate love for the environment by encouraging the students to participate in simple but action-oriented programmes designed to protect and promote the environment. <• / am very happy to inform you that I have discussed my project paper with the Minister of Education of Malaysia, Datuk Amar Dr Sulaiman Daud who officially launched this project on February 22nd 1992. I am also happy to inform you that the Ministry of Education has accepted my project paper and has asked all schools/colleges/etc in Malaysia to support this environmental education project. I am carrying out this important project for the New Straits Times, Malaysia's leading English daily newspaper. I enclose