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For the lase four decades,Taiwan has rapidly transformed from an agriculture-oriented to a highly industrialized modern society, through the endless effort of the govermnent and the people.The rapid change can ge partly attributed to our government's well-planned economic policy,which includes plans for both industrial merchandise and commercial services sectors. Because of this achievement,Taiwan has become the focal point for many economists' research. Many people have made substantial personal material gains during the economic growth period. | |
However,our pubic construction and social development have not yet caught up with the economic growth.A high standard of living needs to be achieved.Therefore,how to upgrade the living quality has become a pubic concern.Environmental protection is one of the key issues.The general pubic recognizes that environmental protection is currently one of the most important tasks.If improves our living environment and consrves the natural resources.Accordingly,the government has planned mid-and long-term pollution ciontrol and management to enhance the quality of the environment and promote environmental protection.
Based on a life-long environmental education concept,we have implemented an integrated,wellconstructed environmental education framework.The purpose is to educate our citizens in order to develop environmental awareness,concern,knowledge and skills.With the environmental ethics and literacy established,our people would be greatly responsible for environmental protection,and then oru living environment could become healthy,comfortable and sustainable.
Traditionally,Chinese people have had a high respect for nature. This attitude comes from their philosophy--"from earth, to earth." The ultimate goal of environmentalprotection is to maintain an ecologically-balanced environment. Therfore, our environmental education goal is to preserve our conventional Chinese philosophy--harmony in nature.Hopefully,we could further enhance the environmental ethics concerning the earth. To strengthen the general pubic's environmental literacy for protection environment and conserving natural resources,we have been vonstructing the following national environmental education policies and programs in Taiwan.
"The Policy and Guideline for Environmental Protection at Current Stage" was issued in 1987 to declare the main goal of environmental protection implementation.It clearly states that environmental and ecological protection technology.
In order to continuously promote environmental education for the "Sustainable Development" concept,"Guidelines for Environmental Education" was issued in 1991.According to this guideline,all pertinent governmental departments should research and formulate plans of action,and eventually move forward towards legislation for environmental education.
The Environmental Protection Administration Ministry of Education, the Council of Agriculture.and the National Park Department of Construction & Planning Administration,Ministry of Interior are presently in charge of promoting environmental education and training related teachers.
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We currently have the following research institutions and facilities for environmental education. (1)One graduate school of environmental education:to assist our environmental curriculum development,the distribution of information, academic graduate research and training related to environmental education. (2)Twelve environmental education centers locally-distributed among three universities and nine colleges:to produce teaching guides and to train local pre-service and in-service teachers from three thousand elementary and junior middle schools. | |
(3)Fifty-two social education institutions:to provide display centers,classrooms and theaters, lectures,multi-media programs, and seasonal activities related to environmental protection and education.
(4)Five national parks and eighteen nature preserves:to provide space and facilities such as visitors' centers,ecological centers, interpretation service stations,and self-guided interpretation facilities.
(5)Eight nature centers: to promote outdoor environmental teaching and learning for elementary and junior middle schools.
This plan includes the formulating of all environmental education projects, and encouraging and assisting students and adults of all ages to be involved in these projects. The purpose is mainly to arouse environmental sensitivity, concern, knowledge, and actions.
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Environmental education projects and activities have been designed and incorporated into the school system annually. Currently, an "environmental protection team" consisting of a selected group of teachers,has been organized in each of the three thousand elementary and junior middle schools in Taiwan to carry out the environmental protection mission on campus. 2)Teachers'in-service environmental education workshops School teachers are the key ingredient of the environmental education system. There are over five thousand teachers attending | |
Currently, we have already incorporated a substantial amount of environmental protection reated materials into our school curriculum. To better cope with global development, we are going to integrate more environmental knowledge and skills into school environmental curricula. All levels of leaming materials are being amended. A series of supplementary materials including bookets and audio-visual tapes are being designed for various groups of different backgrounds and ages from kindergarten to adults as well. As for universities and colleges, several environment-related courses such as ecology, environmental science, environmental protection and environmental education are provided to enhance students' environmental literacy.
Various educational plans and activities were designed for the need of different groups. With the use of mass media, several environmental education activities are planned on the basis of collaborating with various groups, and corporations:
1)The National Society of Environmental Education founded in 1992, to propagate and evaluate our environmental education.
Eighteen foundations and ninety-eight associations related to environmental protection, to promote environmental education tasks under the government's programs and financial support. The control and prevention of dengue feverset a successgul example.
To encourage a national involvement of environmental protection, a series of evaluation processes with awards and honors have been developed. Those include "schools and teachers with contributions in environmental protection," "local persons with contributions in environmental protection," and "outstanding environmental protection volunteer workers." Outstanding representatives are selected, awarded and granted an audience to the President.
Since 1988, we have conducted much research or environmental education. The representative topics includes "students' environmental awateness and knowl edge," "the content of school environmental curriculum, and "the pedagogy of environmental education."
In the future, research on the fundamentals and applications of environmental education will be continu ously undertaken on the basis of "resource integratior planning." The core subjects will include:
1)Environmental concepts
2)Strategies for teaching environmental values
3)Environmental behavior
4)Environmental literacy model
5)Pre-service and in-service teachers training
6)Outdoor environmental education
7)Environmental education models for professional groups
The environmental conference held at Rio de Janeiro Brazil in June 1992 has drawn global attention. People have recognized that under the deteriorating condition of the environment, our common future should mort toward "Sustainable Development." This conference is a new be-ginning and an important milestone to improving the liv-ing environment through international cooperation. It is anticipated that with the support from various groups our environmental education can make progress on the cur-rent basis. We should be more actively involved in global environmental protection affairs and consider environmental protection as our most urgent goal.
"Thinking globally,acting locally." To reach the goal of being involved in global environmental education,we are willing to actively play the role as the "information exchange center from environmental education in the Pacific area." The domestic environmental education manpower and information network system was estab-lished from this purpose. We actively collaborate with countries in the Asia-Pacific region to establish an international environmental education manpower and in-formation network system to achieve the goal of international environmental education collaboration.
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In the 90's,the Asia-Pacific region has gradually be-come an important center of world trade.Along with the economic growth,environmental protection is of great im-portance.In order to develop economics accompanied by environmental protection,we ought to focus on the funda-mental work of environmental education including formu-lation of regulations from environmental education,re-search on basic environmental education,and applications of environmental education.We shall do our very best in all aspects to achieve a wonderful"global village."/td> | |