OSCE Office promotes environmental education in Armenia

YEREVAN, 16 June 2006 - Some 20 teachers and environmental experts discussed today in Yerevan a new teaching methodology outlined in the recently published book "Plant an Idea, Plant a Tree".

The event was organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenia Tree Project and took place in the Public Environmental Information Centre (Aarhus Centre) of Armenia.

Representatives of the Ministries of Nature Protection and Education also participated in the event.

The book, written by Dr. Karla Wesley, has been recommended by the National Institute of Education as a manual for public schools, and is viewed as an informative guide for educators who deal with nature-related subjects in Armenia.

"Nature protection is crucial in ensuring prosperity, stability and security of the people," said Jeannette Kloetzer, Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Office. "We believe that this publication will become a valuable tool in the teaching process."

Education is an important component of the OSCE Office's environmental programme. In the last two years, a number of brochures have been published with the Office's support, including "We and Our Planet", which targeted elementary schoolchildren, and "The Individual's Ecological Culture", aimed at university teachers and students, as well as a compilation of environmental legislation for legal specialists.