Man and environment : environmental attitude in local society and prospects for an environmental awareness through education

Abstract

This work treats attitudinal factors that govern the local people when interacting with, within or through their environment. Through observation, speculation, data gathered from a survey by questionnaire, three major conclusions have been reached: a) that the local environment is in dire need of preservation b) that the only long-term solution to the environmental hazard is education c) that the present educational system is at best little geared towards an active process of eradicating environmental problems. The root cause for the various reasons of environmental degradation appears to be a widespread and persistent lack of consciousness and sensitivity towards non-human life forms. The task is ultimately behaviour modification legislative measures have proved unsuccessful in this. One must reach the person at his/her earliest stage of education and socialisation. The greater responsibility lies with the educational system, particularly teachers. Within context of an environmental education programme, with the help of suitable textbooks, teaching material etc., educators will manage to reform the present situation.