Green Classroom: A Better World and Energy Efficiency Starts with a Small but Big-hearted Persons
22 May 2020Promoting efficient use of electric energy and raising awareness of global warming has been one of the top priorities on the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)’s agenda. EGAT aims to create awareness in energy conservation that delivers actual results, encouraging behavioral change and advocating participation. To obtain these objectives, EGAT has launched many projects, such as the Energy Saving Label No.5 campaign when selecting home appliances and the Green Classroom Project (GCP) which educates school children about energy conservation, as this young generation will be playing a very important role to lead the nation towards better future.
EGAT has worked on the GCP since 1998 by providing knowledge on energy efficiency and environmental conservation to children, the youth, and teachers at 464 schools on primary and secondary levels. The project is aimed at creating a positive attitude about energy conservation, creating values for saving electricity and using energy efficiently, and putting that into practice until it becomes habitual.
EGAT has put green classrooms in place at various schools. The classroom consists of teaching tools for pupils to experiment and realize the need to save electricity, to understand the generation of electricity by various forms of energy, and to learn the value of electricity. The course can be divided into five parts which are the benefits of electricity, the electricity source, the comparison of efficiency of electrical appliances, the effect from excessive power usage, and how we all can save electricity. All the learning tools in the green classroom can actually work, so they are able to have hands-on experience and see the results of their own practice.
Knowledge isn’t confined to only the classroom but communities.
The GCP extends from the school to pupil’s homes and communities. In 2009, the green classroom was upgraded to the Green School to create a network for energy and environmental conservation at a bigger level. EGAT has set criteria for a green school for them to have energy and environmental conservation systematically implemented. The year 2014 saw the operations expanding to the launch of a contest entitled Low Carbon School to promote activities for the development of a carbon society in schools. In 2016, the GCP took another step forward by extending the coverage to communities and pupils’ families through the Energy-Saving Community No.5 campaign that seeks to reduce electricity consumption in the household, strengthening cooperation and participation among EGAT, schools, pupils, and their families.
Clearly, delivering knowledge to schools under the GCP would not be successful without the cooperation and support from pupils, teachers, and the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC). It is fortunate for the children to have kind-hearted people who appreciate the importance of energy conservation.
Today, EGAT is advancing the GCP by incorporating the Knowledge-based Society concept to turn schools as a focal point for the dissemination and sharing knowledge to societies, becoming a modern learning center on energy and environment. This project also focuses on the promotion and the development of knowledge, attitude, and practice on how to use the resources with appreciation of its value, integrating knowledge of energy and environment towards sustainable development and according to the King’s Philosophy at the school level through various activities under the GCP.