THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SOCIETY’S DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Kostyshyn A. B. , Kostyshyn Z. T. , Lukach U. R. , Verbovska R. I. , Divnych T. Ya. 
Published: April 2022

Long time ago the world realized that the intellectual potential of a country determines its place and role on the international level. Accordingly, its value in the economic exchange of developed countries is close to the value of the amount of goods, and the main factor of which is education. Education should become a priority area of activity in Ukraine, and environmental education – a prestigious, effective basis for active and vital research in various fields: social, technical, and medical. There are all prerequisites for this – a deep social crisis of society, the problems of the Chornobyl zone, the need to implement knowledge to protect the population.

The main purpose of environmental education is environmental awareness formation as a specific form of interaction with the environment regulation. On this basis, ecological thinking, ecological culture, and worldview are formed.

Eco-education is one of the main factors in the formation of a harmonious society. It is a way to improve and organize manufacturing efficiently. Environmental education is about the consumption of biosphere resources in accordance with its capabilities. It is a system of knowledge about the global conditions of living things existence. Environmental education is a set of educational activities to form environmental awareness, and on its basis – motivation for action. The peculiarity of this study is the need to organize different social groups to understand the causes of global environmental changes and ways to overcome them. Simultaneously, education is a form of socialization of the individual, in which the transfer of skills, abilities, ideals, and norms is implemented. It is impossible to form a new generation with the appropriate convictions, consciousness, and guidelines for the preservation of natural resources, and cultural heritage, without wide and intensive dissemination of knowledge.

Of particular relevance is environmental education in the health study. It determines the choice of future work for young people, the possibility of their comprehensive development, influences the overall preparedness, social realization, spiritual and physical growth, future achievements in the sphere of professional activity. The system of education, which is reflected in the concept of sustainable development of society, ensures the willingness of a person to lead a healthy lifestyle and to accept health as the highest value.

Environmental education includes common scientific, practical moral and aesthetic aspects. Its specificity is that humans assess conscientiously and constantly possible consequences of interfering with nature, which have a detrimental effect on health. The guiding principle of environmental education is as follows: think globally and act locally.

Practical implementation of tasks in modern educational institutions is based on comprehensive disclosure of nature protection, the relationship between theoretical knowledge and practical activities in this area, the inclusion of environmental aspects in the structure of a subject, special generalizing topics, and integrated courses that reveal the interaction of society and nature, combining classroom activities with direct communication with nature. Therefore, ecological culture and consciousness are formed only through long-term and gradual learning about the environment.

Environmental education equips a person with the necessary knowledge about the peculiarities of the impact of anthropogenic pressures and adverse effects.

The trinity of environmental education, upbringing, and culture implies their consistent and interconnected development.