CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has trained 2,000 government school teachers across 22 districts under its statewide climate education programme. It intends to train 4,000 teachers by December this year.
The milestone was announced in Chennai on Wednesday as the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission (TNCCM), in partnership with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), launched a three-day training programme for teachers in the city.
The programme aims to introduce climate education in government schools through 20 climate literacy modules developed by TNCCM in collaboration with environmental organisation Asar Social Impact Advisors. The modules cover heat, water, waste, biodiversity and sustainable lifestyles.
“Teachers already know their students and their surroundings better than any curriculum can,” said Pallavi Phatak, director, climate and education, Asar Social Impact Advisors.
Five organisations — Asar, Keystone Foundation, Pitchandikulam Forest (Auroville Foundation), Poovulagin Nanbargal and Youth Conservation Action Network (YouCAN) — are delivering the training as part of a working group on climate education in Tamil Nadu.
“Climate change does not look the same across Tamil Nadu. It is a harsher summer in Virudhunagar, saltwater reaching wells in the delta and shrinking grasslands in the Nilgiris,” said G Sundarrajan, Coordinator, Poovulagin Nanbargal, and member of the Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change.