Biologist Bogić Gligorović said in an interview with the Mina agency that the level of environmental awareness among students is much lower than in previous generations due to the reduction in the biology program.
"What has been a significant problem in the last seven or eight years is that there are certain projects that have a positive impact on the level of awareness among students, but that is not enough," added Gligorović.
The executive director of the non-governmental organization Green Home, Azra Vuković, said that it is important that environmental education programs start in kindergarten.
"I believe that at that age we should pay significantly more attention to environmental topics, and of course later through educational programs, through schools," said Vuković.
She said that through working with young people, she realized that their relationship towards nature and natural resources was not appropriate.
"Which means that through the education process we have failed to explain to children the importance of nature, the importance of a good relationship with nature, which is why we have a lot of problems in practice today," said Vuković.
She believes that the educational segment is one of the most responsible for raising awareness about nature protection.
"Regardless of the fact that we consider ourselves an ecological state, this does not follow our actions either at the level of children and youth, or at the level of citizens in general, let alone at the level of decision-makers who should deal with these issues much differently and much more intensively," said Vuković.
Gligorović stated that schools can implement certain things through teaching and extracurricular activities, towards raising students' environmental awareness, but also pointed out the limited possibilities of schools, especially in the financial aspect.
Gligorović said that the coming period will usher in the age of biology and STEM sciences (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), "and we must keep up with it."
"As far as I am informed now, the next education reform is heading in that direction, but the education reform itself is a rather complex process. We cannot do it in a day or a year. It takes several years and then certain results are obtained," said Gligorović.
Vuković assessed that "somehow, through this education process, we have managed to create generations that do not have an adequate relationship with the environment."
"I say, we succeed in a negative context, because we see it through the activities we do with them, so we have young people who are much more interested, say, during the workshops or lectures we conduct, in being on the phone than in actually getting involved in the work," added Vuković.
Asked whether we should try to raise environmental awareness among young people via telephone and social media, Vuković said that the connection with nature happens in nature.
"Connecting with nature must happen in practical classes, in parks, in protected areas. Children must feel what it's like to get dirty, what it's like to fall, what it's like to stay and feel nature somewhere and connect with nature. We've even turned schools in nature into stays in hotels where children are indoors or have a small number of outdoor activities," said Vuković.
Gligorović also raised the issue of children spending less and less time in nature because they are mostly focused on urban centers and that way of life.
He said that several campaigns, such as proper waste disposal and reducing the use of plastic bags, have been launched to raise environmental awareness, as part of negotiating chapter 27.
Speaking about positive examples, Vuković said that a lot is happening, but on an individual level, not systematically.
She said that many civil society organizations operating in Montenegro organize many activities with young people, with schools, with universities.
"Where, through our camps, workshops, and trainings, young people have the opportunity to hear various lectures, different experiences in the field of environmental protection and nature conservation, to participate in them and thus develop their awareness and try to contribute to reducing some of the impacts that we all have on the environment," said Vuković.
She pointed out that the problem is that these activities are not systematized and that they are not at the level of the entire Montenegro.
"Because not everyone has the same opportunities to participate in such activities. Sometimes young people from other cities come to us, but they are mostly participants from Podgorica. So, not everyone who lives in other cities, in more remote places, has the opportunity to participate in such activities in the same way," added Vuković.
She believes that for this reason, education should actually be much more intensive in primary and secondary schools and that it should be a place where knowledge and skills are acquired and where the awareness of younger generations regarding nature protection is strengthened.
Gligorović, answering the question of what steps he would take to raise environmental awareness, said that it is a process.
"We have accepted a model of behavior that is not adequate at all. Our attitude towards our entire environment is somehow predatory, to exploit nature and everything at this moment, without considering what will happen in five years or ten years," said Gligorović.
He stated that it will take a long time to achieve a certain level of thinking in relation to nature.
Gligorović said that, in order to raise environmental awareness, the number of biology and ecology classes should be increased, as well as that more leisure activities should be developed, and more campaigns and educational programs should be implemented.
He added that the same topics have been discussed for too long without finding solutions and lacking adequate implementation of certain solutions.
"It is not only important that we strengthen environmental awareness and leave everything to the citizens' awareness, but it is also very important that the competent institutions take this into account, and that when we do not have adequate citizen awareness, we have adequate punitive measures," concluded Gligorović.
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