Waste management to be part of BEd syllabus

PANAJI: Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has recommended to the department of higher education that a module on waste management be introduced in the BEd curriculum. On Thursday, a meeting was held to discuss and deliberate over the proposed curriculum and the faculty for the programme.

“It was found that many teachers have no introduction to this subject, lack knowledge, awareness and hence are unable to convey the correct message on waste management to their students thereby leading to a non-committal atmosphere in most schools,” corporation managing director Sanjit Rodrigues said.

The corporation runs a dry waste collection initiative for 408 schools across the state, but has found that awareness about segregation remains sketchy.

While framing recommendations for the education department on Zero Waste Goa – School Awareness and Education Program, GWMC and a committee of educationists felt that it was important to create awareness among teachers. This is where the department of higher education was roped in, says Rodrigues.

“We are giving suggestions to the various authorities and the board of studies that will frame the syllabus. They will take the decision,” said director of higher education Prasad Lolienkar.

As an interim measure, the current faculty in BEd colleges is being given an orientation on cleanliness and waste management so that the information can be imparted to students of the course. “This is so that cleanliness and waste management can be included in the BEd curriculum. This will be over and above the regular curriculum,” Lolienkar said.

For now, only those students pursuing a BEd in environmental science will receive the training.

GWMC has offered to provide resource persons who can teach the module. It has constituted a 10-member committee to prepare the course material, conduct training and awareness programs and to monitor and evaluate waste management initiatives.

“We find that teachers themselves are not inclined towards waste management. The sensitivity of the teachers towards segregation and garbage is low,” said a senior government official also part of the initiative.