By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, August 29, Mana: Lilongwe Wildlife Trust (LWT) has launched a sourcebook on wildlife and environmental education for primary schools which seeks to promote wildlife and environmental education in the country's primary schools.

The sourcebook among other things is tackling issues about waste and water management, how people would interact and relate with animals as well as forest conservation.

Speaking after presiding over the launch of the sourcebook at LWT's Environmental Education Centre in Lilongwe on Thursday, the Secretary for Education in the Ministry of Education, Dr Mangani Katundu applauded LWT for the sourcebook.

“The sourcebook will not only benefit the learners in terms of the environment but it will also enhance their ability to think and solve ethical dilemmas associated with wildlife and environmental conservation,” Katundu said.

He added that the sourcebook will also assist learners to attain skills, knowledge, competences and attitude that are in line with environmental conservation that would make them appreciate the value of wildlife, environment and natural resources that the country possess.

He also said the sourcebook would also enable the pupils to understand their role in protecting the wildlife and human from catastrophes associated with environmental degradation and climate change.

Katundu further added that the ministry will make use of the sourcebook in primary schools in order for the learners to learn more about wildlife and environmental conservation.

“We are going to incorporate the sourcebook in primary schools so that pupils should gain more knowledge about wildlife and environmental conservation,” he said.

Also speaking at the launch of the sourcebook, LWT Director of Programmes Dorothy Tembo Nhlema said that as LWT they decided to come up with the sourcebook after observing a limitation of wildlife and environmental education in the national education curriculum.

“When we looked at the curriculum we realized that it is little lean in terms of wildlife and environmental education and when we engaged the Ministry of Education the they agreed that indeed primary school curriculum is limited in terms of wildlife and environmental education.

“This prompted us to develop the sourcebook so that it should be used in primary schools for wildlife and environmental education,” Nhlema said.

LWT has developed the sourcebook with support from Nyika Vwaza Trust, Born Free Foundation as well as Tusk and the first copies of the sourcebook will be distributed in 16 primary schools across the country, according to Nhlema.