Teaching About the Environment: Kalimantan

By Barrie | September 14th, 2007 | No Comments

With the widespread forest destruction in Central Kalimantan, a group of environmental activists is engaged in the training of primary school teachers in Katingan regency, in which environment education textbooks meant for local students are being tried out.

This program is facilitated by the Katingan regency administration in cooperation with WWF-Indonesia and relevant agencies, like the local education office, environment office and the national park management.

The training takes place in Mendawai village, Mendawai district, and Petak Bahandang village, Tasik Payawan district — both situated on the Katingan River plain bordering Sebangau National Park. Illegal logging and wildfire-causing forest damage have remained rife in the two villages. Sixty primary school teachers and principals in both districts have joined the program, which comprises class presentations, group discussions and field practice,” said Novita, 25, an activist from Lampung.

According to Novita, who graduated from Lampung University with a degree in agricultural engineering, the subjects taught concern an introduction to environmental education and various topical environmental issues such as global warming.

Nancy made it clear that the activities were designed to arouse children’s concern for and love of nature through environment education.

“This training is expected to deepen teachers’ knowledge of environment matters, which will be imparted to their students for further application in daily life,” said the WWF-Indonesia/Sebangau conservation project communication officer.

A day’s training is followed by subject presentations before class, among others in the state primary school of Tewang Kampung, which is only over a dozen meters away from the Katingan riverbank in Mendawai district. It is accessible by speedboat from the terminal of Kereng Bangkirai, Palangkaraya. The trip takes eight hours. A simple wooden stilted building, the school has about 20 students per class, mostly the children of farmers, fishermen and sawmill workers.

The new lessons given by the trainees to their first to sixth graders include water and air pollution and the importance of forests as the world’s lungs. Students are also taken to observe water springs and soil types as well as to plant trees in school yards. Dedy Mardianto, a Mekar Tani state primary school teacher, has instructed third graders to grow Galam trees to suit the generally peat covered marshy land around Katingan river.

Novita noted that this replanting practice was intended to make local children familiar with the greening activity in view of the considerable forest damage in Katingan regency due to illegal logging and wildfire. “It’s part of environment education to make them strive for improvement as soon as they notice disruption in natural conditions,” added Novi.

Local student Yanti Nurhidayanti, 12, could not help but express her delight at taking environmental studies. “I’m very happy to be taking subjects that were previously never taught in school. Outdoor instruction makes us better understand through direct observations and field trials,” said the fifth grader.

The textbook tryout and teachers’ training are also meant to improve the environment books earlier compiled by local teachers, besides gathering addition information to enrich future text content. As planned, the environment subjects will be made mandatory for the primary school curriculum in Katingan regency, Central Kalimantan.

Bambang Parlupi