Daily Times

MULTAN: Secretary School Education of South Punjab, Dr. Obaidullah Khokhar, said that it was the need of the hour to educate the new generation about the importance of a clean and green environment and its related issues to deal with the dangers of climate change.

The aim of introducing Green Book as a curriculum in government schools by the Education Department of South Punjab was to prepare students for the changing climate.

He expressed these views while talking to senior civil servants, former Secretary of School Education, South Punjab, Ghulam Farid, and a climate change consultant associated with an international organization, Ghazanfar Ali, regarding steps to deal with the threats of environmental and climate change.

On the occasion, Additional Secretary Khawaja Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, Deputy Secretary Saif-ur-Rehman Khan Balwani, and related officials were present in the meeting.

Dr. Obaidullah Khokhar said that Pakistan was on the fifth list among the countries most affected by the effects of climate change. He proposed that awareness of the environment and its protection should be an integral part of growing children.

“Environmental education helps to manage resources efficiently and fosters creative thinking in children,” he added.

Secretary School Education South Punjab, while expressing his opinion regarding the teaching of Green Book among the students of government schools and its usefulness, said that the publication of Green Book and its inclusion in the curriculum of government schools was a revolutionary initiative.

Senior Civil Servant, former Secretary, School Education Department, Punjab, Ghulam Farid, said, “It is not enough to tell children that planting trees is necessary for the improvement of the environment; we need to make them understand why these are harmful.”

Ghulam Farid further said that the participation of the new generation was very important to prevent the increasing effects of carbon and the emission of greenhouse gases.

He termed the process of publishing the book and introducing it as a curriculum in government schools an environment-friendly initiative.