3rd-year student, sp. “Customs Affairs”, d/d, Scientific Advisor – Stupak M.H., Chernivtsi Trade and Economics Institute of KNTEU, Chernivtsi
ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION AS ONE OF THE MEANS OF ECOLOGICAL POLICY REALIZATION
It is obvious that environmental conditions in the world have worsened greatly. Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and other harmful substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers and lakes dry up. The pollution of air and the world’s ocean, destruction of the ozone layer is the result of man’s careless interaction with nature, a sign of the ecological crises. Unfortunately, the same ecological situation is observed in Ukraine. The problem of ecological pollution has been existed in our country for many years. Water, soils and air are contaminated with toxic wastes. As a result, many people suffer from various serious diseases. The most terrible thing is that youngsters and even infants are among them. The cases of children’s leukemia and cancer are met more and more often. A harmful contribution was added by the notorious Chernobyl nuclear accident happened in 1986 [1]. Environmental health, rational use of natural resources, ensuring of ecological safety of the human vital functions are the integral parts of stable economic and social development of Ukraine. For this purpose Ukraine carries out an ecological policy on its territory aimed at: preservation of the environment safe for the existence of living and lifeless nature; protection of life and health of the population from negative effect stipulated by the environmental contamination; achievement of harmonious interaction of society and nature; protection, rational use and reproduction of natural resources. A principle according to which the ecological safety becomes a significant element and component of natural safety of the state is in the basis of the formation of the state ecological policy. The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine provides an implementation of the state policy in the field of nature protection and rational use of natural resources. Awareness-raising and training in the field of ecology, and the development of a cultural and integral ecological outlook is a decisive factor in overcoming the present global ecological crisis. Therefore ecological education is one of the priority areas of the state policy [2]. For many years there was no single efficient system of ecological training and education in Ukraine which could form a basis for such training and education without essential changes. The system required has been developed and improved by experienced experts. Scientific and pedagogical staff of Ukraine are highly qualified in the field of sustainable ecological development, medical ecology, military ecology, methodology and matters of ecological education, ecological ethics and psychology, education and control, etc. Moreover, a group of specialists have prepared the Conception of Ecological Education Development in Ukraine. The Conception takes into account the program documents concerning government policy in the field of education and environment protection. In accordance with this Conception the ecological education must be aimed at the obtaining of fundamental ecological knowledge and methodology as well as at professional training in ecology, ecologization of special educational disciplines and ecological awareness-raising. All this will promote the formation of the integral ecological knowledge and thinking necessary for making the appropriate administrative decisions at the level of enterprises, branches, regions and the whole country. In this respect, obligatory-selective courses of ecology or analogous authorized courses are offered at specialized educational institutions. A series of education programs have been published for these institutions. To a certain degree, ecological awareness-raising can be achieved through establishments outside the regular school system, ecological-environmental centers in particular, arranging mass nature-protection activities at the national and regional levels. The Olympiads in ecology often held in Ukraine and abroad also have a positive influence on the development of ecological education. The teams of Ukrainian pupils often win first prizes in International Ecological Olympiads. Ecological education is a subject of special concern in Chernivtsi Region. Local self-administration bodies include permanent commissions concerned with the problems of environment protection, deputies of different levels being their members. State authorities work in close cooperation with researchers and educational institutions of the region as well as with the Botanical Garden with the purpose of popularization of knowledge concerning nature protection. Programs for higher educational establishments, depending on their specialization, include a whole set of ecological disciplines. Ecological societies have been also created at secondary schools. Nevertheless, the system of ecological training and education existing in Ukraine has to be improved as to its efficiency and integration on the basis of a deep philosophical and psychological-pedagogical comprehension of the problem with regard to the social-cultural functions of ecology in the society, and an integral system of ecological knowledge. The traditions and historical experience of the Ukrainian people in this sphere as well as the peculiarities of the ecological and economic situation in the country must also be taken into consideration. It is coexistence which should serve as a key principle in cooperation between human society and nature, and not excessive consumption and violence. Selected bibliography: 1. http://otherreferats.allbest.ru/ecology/00003177/ 2. http://nature.org.ua/nr98/englv/educat/index.htm
