This is not a post directly related to education, yet it is in some ways. We often say that Western Society has a 'Use and Throw' mentality. We say its criminal to waste so much. This is quite true, in developed countries you see quick use of many things after which they are discarded adding to the garbage. There is a real fear that as our country develops we will adopt this use-and-throw culture as well. It would be much worse then as we are so large in number, that the wastage will be colossal.
But we, the developing nation, is guilty of equally criminal habit. It should be called 'Don't use and don't throw'. We as a country just collect things, rarely or never use them and neither do we give them to anyone. Think of cloths, furniture, utensils, books, crockery, kids toys. This is an invisible but colossal waste as well. I see many in my generation guilty of it and certainly the older generation was. We won't share it, neither would we use it. The don't-use and-don't-throw society also needs to be high-lighted.
However, tomorrows generation stands at this turning point in-between. This is why, I think this point is relevant to schools today. We should not go from a don't-use-and-don't-share society to a use-and-throw. We need children to grow in to a 'Use and Share' society. I have noticed that if, we buy something and don't use it for three years, then there is little chance that we will ever use it. Remember the set of spoons you bought, still in wraps. May be someone else is just going to buy one. So why not give-it away or share it ?
This is easily said than done. The trend in school seems every one buys one copy of everything. There aren't enough activities in the class-room in place to encourage a use-and-share attitude. We need to build the exchange mechanisms and also the attitude to make this kind of behaviour natural. Schools is one place where we can actively promote sharing or giving-up what you don't need.
But we, the developing nation, is guilty of equally criminal habit. It should be called 'Don't use and don't throw'. We as a country just collect things, rarely or never use them and neither do we give them to anyone. Think of cloths, furniture, utensils, books, crockery, kids toys. This is an invisible but colossal waste as well. I see many in my generation guilty of it and certainly the older generation was. We won't share it, neither would we use it. The don't-use and-don't-throw society also needs to be high-lighted.
However, tomorrows generation stands at this turning point in-between. This is why, I think this point is relevant to schools today. We should not go from a don't-use-and-don't-share society to a use-and-throw. We need children to grow in to a 'Use and Share' society. I have noticed that if, we buy something and don't use it for three years, then there is little chance that we will ever use it. Remember the set of spoons you bought, still in wraps. May be someone else is just going to buy one. So why not give-it away or share it ?
This is easily said than done. The trend in school seems every one buys one copy of everything. There aren't enough activities in the class-room in place to encourage a use-and-share attitude. We need to build the exchange mechanisms and also the attitude to make this kind of behaviour natural. Schools is one place where we can actively promote sharing or giving-up what you don't need.
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