NREB targets 500 schools to form environmental lovers clubs

SERIAN: The Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) environmental quality controller Jack Liam aims to establish Environmental Lovers Clubs (PALS) in 500 schools this year.

He said that so far, 478 PALS Clubs, comprising 322 primary schools and 156 secondary schools, have been established in Sarawak.

As such, he expressed optimism about achieving more than one-third of the total number of schools across Sarawak.

“In addition to enforcing laws, NREB is also responsible for raising environmental awareness among all layers of society through the implementation of environmental education programmes.

“The implementation of this programme for school students is crucial in shaping a society that is more sensitive and concerned about the environment. As the saying goes, ‘bend the bamboo while it’s still a shoot.’

“The main goal of establishing PALS Clubs is to provide a platform for students to acquire knowledge and skills in caring for the environment through the activities carried out by the PALS Clubs,” he said.

He said this during the closing ceremony of the state-level Environmental Education Workshop for Teacher Advisors of the PALS Clubs at Roxy Hotel here today.

To ensure that PALS Clubs remain active and capable of playing their role in raising environmental awareness among school students, Jack said this workshop was specially organised for PALS Club Teacher Advisors from across Sarawak.

He added that the workshop aims to introduce the purpose of establishing and managing PALS Clubs and to expose participants to environmental education modules and activities as well as their implementation methods.

Jointly organised with the Sarawak State Education Department (JPNS), Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), and Trienekens, the four-day event was attended by 85 PALS Club teachers from schools across Sarawak.

According to Jack, such workshops have been conducted by NREB since 2015, and approximately 1,250 PALS Club teacher advisors have been trained through these workshops.

Therefore, he said efforts to hold such programmes should continue to ensure that PALS Clubs remain active in all schools throughout Sarawak.

“More importantly, PALS Club teacher advisors should be able to convey environmental care messages to the younger generation to create a future generation that is more conscious of environmental conservation,” he added.

Also present were the Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration, and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh, SEB senior vice president for Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) Marconi Madai, Trienekens general manager for Health, Safety, and Environment (HSSE) Harris Michael Deho, and Serian District Education Officer Bunsie Tunton.