Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 27: A three-day workshop on “sustainability in schools and SDG 4.7” was organized by the Pune-based Bharati Vidyapeeth deemed University, Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER), in collaboration with ESD Expert Net, India, and Engagement Global concluded at the historic Golf Club in the picturesque Gulmarg meadow here today.
The School Leadership Academy (SLA) of the J&K State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) partnered with BVIEER to organize the event.
Scores of principals, teacher educators, and resource persons from various schools across the J&K UT besides academic officers from both the SCERTs-Jammu, and Kashmir-participated in the event.
Giving details of the program, Prof Shamita Kumar, said the United Nations established 17 sustainability development goals in September 2015 that demand urgent action from all nations, including India.
“Of these 17 SDGs, Goal 4 focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting opportunities for lifelong learning for everyone,” Prof Shamita said. “The purpose of SDG 4.7 is to provide learners with the information and skills necessary to realize all of the SDGs.”
The earliest date for achieving these objectives, she said, has been established as the year 2030.
Prof. Shamita stated that the interactive SDG model has prepared the path for easy implementation, making it result-oriented, as opposed to the top-down method used in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of 2015, in which the listed goals were not completely achieved by the member nations.
Prof Shamita said the ESD Expert Net combines experts from different educational fields into a global partnership.
Samruddi Patwardhan, Program Officer, BVIEER, supported Prof. Shamita through her digital presentations, YouTube documentaries, and in-class activities, assisting the participants in understanding the subtleties of the SDGs.
The participants benefited from a documentary about the work of the National Green Corps in Maharashtra, where students from various schools made important contributions to the cause of the environment and the preservation of the delicate ecosystem of several communities in the state.
According to Samruddi, several footprints are recognized as being crucial to sustainability and sustainable development. “These recognized footprints of Carbon (CF), Water (WF), Environmental (ENF), Nitrogen (NF) F, Phosphorus (PF), Biodiversity (BF), and Land (LF) have been described in detail,” she said.
As Samruddi said, “We’re encouraging students to get involved in volunteer work and help the stakeholders learn how to maximize the impact of handprints.”
Nodal Officer SLA, J&K, Dr. Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, stated that the five models developed during the workshop would be contextualized following proper documentation and applied throughout all of the J&K UT’s districts.
“We have been working relentlessly for the past year to instill leadership qualities among the heads of institutions throughout the Union Territory to prepare them for facing the problems of sustainability,” Dr. Fayaz remarked.
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