“What the mind doesn’t know, the eye cannot see” is what our Forensic Medicine professor used to say back at medical college. We can only find what we’re looking for if we have an idea of what we’re looking for.
I recently took part in a workshop for teachers involved in environmental studies. It was called “Exploring environmental education beyond the classroom”.
One of the practical sessions was an exercise called “transect walk”. This method is used in community medicine and other social sciences, but this is the first time I got the opportunity of accompanying an environmental group for it. Teachers often complain that taking children out of the school for field trips to far off places is not very feasible. This exercise was an answer to that question.
How well do we know our own neighbourhood? Our context of environment is often clouded by images of forests, rivers and mountains that we forget that our immediate environment is in the midst of a city or village. What do we know of the road in front of our house?
During the 15 minute walk, the teachers were not able to identify most of the trees which lined the road. There were open manholes on the footpaths and piles of garbage in every street corner. Who were they supposed to contact, which government body was responsible for this?
We also came across the local office of the electricity board. What were their functions? Do they help individuals interested in going off grid?
When we crossed the newly widened road, we had to look in three directions before making an attempt to take another step. Who was responsible for this bad planning? Was the road planned according to how it is supposed be done? Is there a guideline or law for this?
The point the facilitators were trying to make with this exercise was to bring to the notice of teachers that getting to know what’s happening at and outside our homes or schools is the first step towards learning. The children or their teachers dont have an idea of where their water comes from, where their electricity is generated, what happens after the garbage van collects the garbage in the morning?
With a keen sense of observation towards our everyday activities, everyone can gain a much better understanding of how things work in their neighbourhood. This is key if the children are to become responsible citizens. The paradigm of keeping children locked up for hours and drilling them with books and tests will hopefully begin to melt soon. Rather than showing them pictures and telling them “This is how the world is”, a better approach would be to make them experience it.
This is what Aldo Leopold, the great American environmentalist of the early part of the 20th century had to say, “There are two spiritual dangers of not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace”.
