Environmental education and awareness among students in India, Japan and Thailand for sustainable development
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Abstract
Introduction: Societies throughout the world establish educational systems in order to develop students, the future citizens, to behave in ways following the norms of the society so that we can all have a better world. Environmental education is one key which is important for the development of environmental knowledge in students. Sustainability is its main aim in order to shape human behavior, so as to improve the environment in a number of ways. Methods: The article is based on the review of literatures available from various sources, both printed and electronic. Objectives: The article aims to establish the background and importance of environmental education for sustainability. It also aims to review the various environmental education practices or strategies adopted at present in the education system of dierent countries. The countries included in this article were India, Japan and Thailand. Finally the review aims to discover the drawbacks in the environmental education in these countries. Results and Discussion: Environmental education has existed in the countries that were studied since the remote past and was rooted in their ancient tradition for the preservation of nature. When environmental education is included in the curriculum, students are expected to become increasingly aware of environmental issues, learn to take care of the environment and acquire skills and motivation to lessen current environmental problems. It was found that integration of environmental education into the school curriculum in India and Thailand is lacking behind in terms of available resources and techniques of education when compared to Japan. Conclusion: The article concluded that environmental education heightens awareness among students, which brings behavioral changes and practice, thereby leading them towards environmental protection for sustainable development.
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