The Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Center (MGTC) in collaboration with the Green Growth Asia Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature – Malaysia held the Malaysian Eco-Schools program at the MGTC headquarters on 13 May. The program successfully briefed more than 60 private companies on the theme of Education Towards Sustainable Development.
The briefing placed emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development, one of the catalysts that underlie all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supported by the Government of Malaysia. The SDGs are a guide for governments to formulate policies to ensure a sustainable future that encompasses all the development challenges of the modern world, including economic, social, and environmental.
The Eco-Schools environmental sustainability education program is brought to primary and secondary schools in an effort to improve the skills of the younger generation in addressing climate change issues that are increasingly affecting the country.
MGTC CEO, Ts. Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, said, his party will strive to bring the Eco-Schools Program to all schools in Malaysia. He is interested in the project-based learning approach which has proven its effectiveness in giving positive changes to students to be more active and skilled in maintaining the sustainability of the environment around them today. Tomorrow, they will be competitive environmental technologists and have high skills to solve various environmental problems in Malaysia and in the Asian region.
Head of Market and Education Program, WWF-Malaysia Mr. Thiagarajan Nadeson explained, “The Eco-Schools program involves a process of contextual learning, mastery, inquiry-based, projects and so on that are in line with the aspirations of formal education in Malaysia and progressive education globally. Guided by the 7-step methodology used in more than 70 countries around the world, this program is able to educate students and school people to identify environmental problems in the school environment and take steps to address them in line with the slogan Think Globally, Act Locally.”
Green Growth Asia Foundation Executive Director, Ts Dr Mahadi Mohamad stated that his vision for the Eco-Schools Program is to reach 100 schools in each state by 2025. In the next three years, GGAF will travel to all states to brief the private sector. and state corporations concerned the need for Eco-Schools Education in their state schools.
So far, the GGAF has successfully brought the Eco-Schools program to 130 schools in Melaka, 20 schools in Perak and 12 schools in Kedah (Langkawi) with contributions from the private sector, foundations and government-linked companies (GLCs). MGTC shares the goals of this initiative and would like to further strengthen the implementation of the program throughout Malaysia with the contribution of funds from the private sector.
