Concerns Over Teachers, Students’ Involvement In E-Waste Collection Drive
The government must not place the responsibility on students and teachers: Reports
ANANTAPUR: Concerns have been raised over additional workload on teachers and the safety of students involved in e-waste collection drive, with experts calling on the government to ensure that its environmental awareness campaigns do not affect classroom teaching or children’s safety.
Sources told Deccan Chronicle that as part of the government’s campaign to promote collection of discarded electronic goods to deal with environmental pollution, teachers have been asked to collect e-waste from students by October 26 and deposit the same at the Mandal Resource Committee office the following day.
Schools must upload details of their collection online, including the division of students into groups and photographs of the collected e-waste.
The exercise envisaged has raised questions about the role of government and private schools in waste management. In particular, teachers have to take up collection and record-keeping duties in addition to their academic and administrative responsibilities.
Asking children to collect discarded electronic items from their homes has raised safety concerns. Improper handling may expose them to hazardous substances. The material collected could subsequently pose health risks to others.
Authorities have directed schools to group children into three age categories — three years to eight years, nine years to 11 years, and older students. They are to be asked to collect e-waste from their homes.
A teacher from Sri Sathya Sai district said the government risked placing the responsibility on students and teachers, instead of encouraging waste producers like village and townspeople to participate in the e-waste collection drive.“The primary responsibility of teachers is educating children, assessing their students’ learning levels, and supporting their overall development. Assigning to them collection and data-entry duties could divert valuable time from their more important classroom activities,” a private school correspondent explained.
The correspondent said educational institutions should focus on creating awareness among students about the environmental consequences of e-waste and hold practical demonstrations and debates, rather than turn students into waste collection agents.
The correspondent suggested that authorised agencies and recyclers be made responsible for collecting e-waste and processing it in accordance with the safety requirements. At the same time, schools should play a significant role in promoting environmental responsibility.
A teacher, who requested anonymity, said, “A school is a place to build knowledge. It cannot be a substitute for managing e-waste. There must be a balance between environmental protection, children’s safety, and quality education.”