Moldova has no future without ecologic education, NGO

Moldova is at least half a century backward as regards the ecologic education of people. Such a class is highly necessary in the school institutions in the country. Otherwise, Moldova has no future. The statement was made by the head of the Moldovan Ecologist Movement NGO, Alecu Renita, Info-Prim Neo reports. “We are worried that in the Education Strategy 2020, developed by the Ministry of Education, there is no class dedicated to ecologic education. The lack of ecologic culture is growing fast. If until 2020 we don’t educate our children ecologically, we’ll lose one more generation”, Alecu Renita told a press conference on Thursday. Renita mentioned a case when children put on fire a thicket of reeds only to see how the birds that nested there burned. “If we have mandatory classes and children will pass exams, perhaps there’ll be no more such horrible cases. What’s worse is that these children hurt nature without being aware of it”, said Alecu Renita. Deputy Minister of Environment Valentina Tapis remarked at the same press conference that regretfully Moldovans know how to build cities, but don’t know how to use natural resources properly. The Ministry is trying to raise the level of ecologic awareness, but lacks the human resources. The Ecologic Inspectorate is severely lacking employees, said Valentina Tapis. Ombudswoman Aurelia Grigoriu supports the proposal of the Ecologic Movement in Moldova and highlighted that the Supreme Law stipulated the people’s right to live in a clean and healthy environment. “This right cannot be respected only by authorities. People must be educated since childhood”, said the ombudswoman. Valentina Bobeica, vice president of the Ecologic Movement, says that ecologic education is mandatory, considering that such education is provided to children only sporadically. The Moldovan Ecologic Movement pleads for higher sanctions for those who pollute. There are 3000 streams in Moldova, but most of them can barely be called live rivers, as the people use them as dumps. They demand fines of up to 10,000 lei for those who throw their garbage in the yard or somewhere else instead of dumpsters. They say that in civilized countries the people have been educated, including through harsh penalties.