The Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA) is continuing its environmental education programme in coordination with Emirates Wildlife Society - World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS/WWF) in many schools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.
The programme is sponsored by Shell and 189 government and 56 private schools from Abu Dhabi, and another 143 schools from the other emirates are taking part, said ERWDA.
A delegation from ERWDA and EWS/WWF represented by Razan Al Mubarak and accompanied by Dr Mohammed Defrawi, Managing Director of Shell Abu Dhabi, and Monira Al Kuttab, Advisor on Governmental Affairs, visited Al Afaaq High Model School in Abu Dhabi on Monday to watch the students take their Enviro-Spellathon test.
Dr Defrawi helped the Al Afaaq teachers conduct the test.
"The programme seems to be proceeding rather well," he said. "It has been well received and the schools are highly appreciative of the Enviro-Spellathon booklets and their contents. This experience will help sensitise children to nature and steer them towards proper environmental behaviour."
Dr Ahmad K. Bashir, director, and an ERWDA delegate, called the Enviro-Spellathon a unique awareness programme, the first of its kind in the UAE. The programme was developed to target primary and upper primary students and fill the gap in environmental awareness.
Al Marzouqi, another delegate, said the six publications produced under the Spellathon programme covered important environmental issues in the UAE such as waste, water, wildlife and natural habitats.
Schoolchildren between the ages of six and 12 study the books and are then tested to evaluate the knowledge they have gained. The best achievers are then nominated Enviro-Spellathon ambassadors of their respective schools.
Gulf News
