There is a need to produce literature on climate change to be more child-friendly so that awareness on the issue is raised.
This was the basis for the production of Fiji’s first Environment Alphabet Poster and Climate Change Educational/Awareness materials which will feature local wildlife so that children can learn about this important topic in a more fun and interesting way.
The Ministry of Education’s director Technical, Vocational Education and Training Ms Alumeci Tuisawau said there is a need to filter knowledge on climate change to children in a language that they understand.
This, she said, is crucial as the climate change effects will leave these children at its mercy in the not so distant future.
“Education is a mechanism that can be utilised to be bridge the gap between children’s knowledge on climate change.”
“It can play an active role in bolstering people’s ability and stimulate the next generation to demand, generate, interpret and apply information on current and future climate and to be able to cope with the challenges of global warming,” Ms Tuisawau said.
The climate change material by SPC/GIZ features interesting stories of fictitious characters Pou and Miri in a colourful and glossy book together with an alphabet poster that has local wildlife.
As the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)/GIZ Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region Program advisor, Hanna Sabass, put it, “why learn about apples and elephants when you have bananas, parrots and turtles as local examples”.
This was handed over to the Ministry today and will be distributed to all schools this week.
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