1. Policy Statement

Don Bosco Central School aims to provide quality environmental education programs that are current and relevant to our community. Our policy aims to ensure the management of school resources in accordance with sustaining the environment in an attempt to address global environmental issues.

2. Our Beliefs

We believe:

• In maintaining a healthy and safe environment
• Encouraging students to make informed environmental choices
• In providing opportunities to learn and reflect on environmental issues
• That students have an active role in the management of environments

3. Expectations and Responsibility

The school principal, teachers, parents and members of the wider community share responsibility and work together to care for the environment and sustain its resources for future generations.

a. Principal’s Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and implementation of a school environment management plan
• Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the school environment management plan and communicate findings to staff

b. Staff’s Responsibilities

• Ensure the concept of ‘sustainability’ is integrated where relevant within the curriculum
• Communicate information about environmental issues and events within the community to students and parents
• Ensure staff are modeling good sustainability practices
• Provide opportunities for students to participate in hands on projects within a school context

c. Student’s Responsibilities

• Actively participate in environmental studies imbedded within school programs
• Engage in relevant environmental issues and events within the community
• Model good sustainability practices
• Share their knowledge of environmental sustainability practices with their families
• Be environmentally conscious members of the community

d. Community’s Responsibilities

• Support the school in the implementation of the policy by reinforcing and role modeling good environmentally sustainable behaviours
• Participating in school events reinforcing environmental programs
• Assist in spreading good sustainability practices with the rest of the community

4. Focus Areas

To achieve the objectives of environmental education, Don Bosco Central School Manjeshwar will address all three focus areas in ways that are meaningful to our school.

a. Curriculum

We will maximize every opportunity to develop students’ capacity to support an ecologically sustainable world. In implementing this focus area of the policy, we will:

Integrate environmental education through participating in special environmental events, days and programs such as:

• a. World Environment day is celebrated on 5th June to spread awareness, to encourage pupils to take action and to protect the environment.
• b. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the most significant cleanliness campaign by the Government of India.

Integrate environmental education into other subjects, such as English, Mathematics, and the Creative Arts, where the syllabus outcomes can be taught through environmental issues and topics i.e. recycling

b. Management of Resources

We will manage resources according to the principles of ecologically sustainable development. In implementing this focus area of the policy, we will:

• Address the management of energy, products and water;
• Improve the school environment whilst reducing costs in our energy and water bills;
• Maximize learning opportunities created by the school’s management of resources to make links with the curriculum such as student involvement in:
  • Vegetable garden
  • Ensuring efficient use of the compost bin
  • Maintain school garden

c. Management of School Grounds

We will develop the school grounds and surrounding areas for teaching and learning by linking the curriculum to the grounds. In implementing this focus area of the policy, we will:

• Maintain a healthy and safe environment by:
  • uprooting weeds and removal of pests
  • plating more trees
  • by caring for the trees
  • Providing sufficient shade in the playground and gardens
  • Proper disposal of wastes
  • Health use of dust bins
  • Quitting the use of plastics

Fr. Augustine Thekkepookombil SDB
Principal