Maryland's education gurus want every student in the state to learn about the environment, but not enough to make it a graduation requirement.
The Baltimore Sun's Liz Bowie reports that the state board of education voted unanimously Tuesday to make environmental education a part of every student's education, but balked at making it a graduation requirement. Board members apparently didn't want environmental science classes to bump anything else out of the already crowded curriculum.
Under the state board's new regulation, high school students won't have to take any additional courses, but environmental education is to be incorporated into existing courses, such as biology. School systems will have to report every five years on how that's being done.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which offers field trips for students and environmental training for teachers, had been pressing the state board. It noted that there are still school districts where students get no exposure to environmental science before graduating.
CBF called the state board decision "a partial victory." Concerned that people's health and public support for environmental protection is dwindling because youngsters these days are spending less time outdoors, the Annapolis-based environmental group is pushing for making environmental literacy a national education priority, lobbying Congress to adopt "No Child Left Inside" legislation.
What do you think? Should all students be required to learn about environmental science and policy? The state recently made financial literacy a graduation requirement. Is this in the same league, or something that's better infused into a variety of subjects, such as biology, health and civics? After all, isn't the environment really about how everything's connected?
(Students at Green School in Baltimore count baby oyster spat before putting shells in water. Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox)