JEDDAH: Jeddah had been announced as the first city in the Kingdom to apply environmental standards in its schools, according to Minister of Education Prince Faisal bin Abdullah and President of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) Prince Turki bin Nasser.
This initiative comes as a result of the National Program for Environmental Awareness called "Be'aty: Green Flag, Green Country." It was organized in cooperation with the Saudi Environmental Society (SENS) and the heads of 14 Saudi municipalities.
"Schools in addition to families will be able to create a sense of environmental responsibility in our children," he said.
"All strategies that could help in saving the environment are going to be implemented in schools. For example, we are looking to solve one of the main problems that increase pollution such as traffic congestion. This will lead us to start a general transportation system for both male and female students, which certainly decrease the congestion around schools and decrease the car numbers."
Prince Faisal confirmed the Ministry of Education will join hands with SENS to launch several programs. "Our aim is to provide the new generation with the knowledge and skills to work individually and collectively to solve environmental issues and to avoid new environmental problems," he said.
Prince Turki stated that SENS' new plan is to create harmony in the Kingdom and to achieve the objectives of implementing education for sustainable development.
"SENS will implement this program in cooperation with a number of international bodies and experts, as well as coordination with the Ministry of Education, in order to facilitate practical experience and theory on environmental issues as part of this full academic program. We are looking forward to finish implementing the program in all schools in the Kingdom," he said.
Prince Turki said he expected the program's output to match the aspirations of those involved.
"We are working with the Ministry of Education to create environmental clubs in all schools to raise environmental awareness," he said.
Prince Khaled bin Saud, general manager of projects management at the PME, said such programs would raise awareness of local and regional environmental issues.
"We are looking to resolve environmental problems and teach people how to develop a sense of environmental management," he said.
According to Prince Khaled, these efforts are in line with promoting positive behaviors associated with maintaining the environment for sustainable development.
SENS Deputy Executive Director Majda Abu Ras, who also has a doctoral degree in environmental biotechnology, said the society's strategy is to create harmony in the Kingdom, to achieve the objectives of education for sustainable development.
"This program will be implemented within five years, where the first two stages will be launched among primary school students. In the next two years the program will include intermediate school students, where 240 schools will be involved."
© Arab News 2012
