IMPARTING VALUES OF CONSERVATION
Principal of Birla Public School Doha A K Shrivastava minces no words when it comes to environmental conservation. Parents have ignored their responsibility of imparting green values to children, he tells Qatar Today.
Principal of Birla Public School Doha A K Shrivastava minces no words when it comes to environmental conservation. Parents have ignored their responsibility of imparting green values to children, he tells Qatar Today.
Recalling his childhood days in India, Shrivastava says that his parents made him use a handkerchief for personal hygiene; "but now children use loads of tissue papers,” he says.
“We are wasting so much paper, water and electricity and I personally feel that children should be advised about nature conservation so that they respect the environment and become good citizens,” he says.
The simple reason why children were not made aware of such things was the growth of nuclear families.
The children born and brought up in this region have no contact with nature since the climatic conditions make it impossible for them to venture out and it is difficult for them to be anything other than “couch potatoes”. “These are some challenges which we need to face and our school is working in this direction so that the kids get educated accordingly,” Shrivastava says. Appreciating Qatar Today for its efforts to inculcate these values among students by launching Green Programme for Schools, Shrivastava feels that more agencies should come forward to spread the message. “It is a fantastic idea. On our part, we too have propagated the message among the
students as Qatar Today gave us the material like stickers which calls upon the children to save electricity and water,” Shrivastava says.
“GPS is not only relevant to students in Qatar but to those from across the world. It is a wonderful programme and I want Qa
tar Today to continue the noble work with the same zeal and enthusiasm. They should also hold seminars and workshops to make it more attractive to further the cause,” he says.
Monitors have been appointed who have been tasked with the job of switching off the lights and air conditioners before leaving their respective classrooms.
In a country of abundance, conservation is a difficult path to take especially for children who have never faced any difficulties nor have they ever had to tackle shortages of water and electricity. GPS is meant to pass the baton of responsibility to the children and make them understand and realise their mistake in taking the environment for granted.
The school has also set up an eco club with subdivisions for cleanliness, electricity and water conservation. The eco club has been active and the students take part in a march to declare their goals. “Children are custodians of the environment and they should pass on the baton to future generations,” Shrivastava adds.
Rakesh Verma, another green activist and a teacher at the same school, who has been in charge of Birlasphere (eco club of Birla Public School) since 2012, is also actively involved in activities like quiz competitions and Disaster Management projects.
He campaigns for minimum wastage of paper in school by reusing one-sided printed papers, sending e-circulars instead of printed ones, and recycling waste papers by creating models from them.
He believes that "human beings are the only species on Earth to cut down trees, make paper from it and then write on the paper to campaign for saving trees"
“Children are custodians of the environment and they should pass on the baton to future generations.”
A K SHRIVASTAVA Principal Birla Public School Doha
RAKESH VERMA Incharge, Birlasphere Birla Public School