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IIT Madras Director Reveals Why Schools Must Teach Sustainability at Age 5

The IIT Madras Director believes we must start teaching sustainability to children from age five. He emphasizes that our planet is in serious danger and we need to change our resource usage habits. The institute recently showcased 38 innovative projects from across India focused on sustainable solutions. With India's large population, technology becomes the key pathway to achieving global sustainability targets.

Key Points: IIT Madras Director Kamakoti Urges Sustainability Education in Schools

  • Sustainability education should begin for children as young as five years old
  • Planet faces critical peril requiring immediate resource usage control
  • Technology and startups are essential for achieving SDG targets nationwide
  • 38 eco-innovation projects showcased at IIT Madras address multiple UN goals
  • India's large population makes technology crucial for sustainability success
2 min read

Teaching sustainability in schools can help achieve SDG targets: IIT Madras Director

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti advocates teaching sustainability to children from age 5 to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals through education and technology.

"Planet is really at peril, and we need to basically look at things we need to control ourselves - Prof. V. Kamakoti"

New Delhi, Oct 25

To achieve the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the lesson on sustainability must begin in schools, said Prof. V.

Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, on Saturday. Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the institute's grand finale of the second edition of 'Ideas to Impact' (i2I) Challenge, Kamakoti said that children as young as 5-years-old must be taught about sustainability.

"When I address schools, I keep saying that starting from the age of 5, children must be taught about sustainability as that's extremely important," the Director said.

"Planet is really at peril, and we need to basically look at things we need to control ourselves, in the usage of resources, the way of living, habits, etc. Unless we do that, reaching the Sustainable Development Goals is going to be very, very difficult. So even at the school level, we must start teaching sustainability," he added.

He noted that as sustainability-related components are part of every sector, it is important to put them into practice with "education, technology, start-ups".

He also spoke about the i2I Challenge held in the IIT Madras campus, where 38 eco-innovations developed by young innovators from across India were showcased. Each was aimed at advancing sustainability, the circular economy, and climate resilience.

"We have 38 teams all over India, as far as Jammu and different parts of India. Each of the team has come with excellent projects, specifically targeted towards sustainable development goals," Kamakoti said.

"There are 17 sustainable development goals, as promoted by the United Nations. Almost seven or eight of these goals are being addressed by the participants here. They have come out with products that can potentially translate to very effective solutions where we reuse some of the waste materials or reuse some of the natural energy that is provided to us," the Director told IANS.

"Across the world, every country has a commitment towards sustainable development goals. Being a large democracy with a 150 crore population, 1.5 billion population, technology is the only way by which we can meet those goals. And so, promoting that technology is extremely important," he added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great to see IIT Madras taking the lead! But I hope this isn't just theoretical. Our education system needs practical implementation - field trips to recycling plants, hands-on projects, and community clean-up drives. Theory alone won't create change.
A
Arjun K
As a teacher in a Delhi government school, I can say we're already trying to incorporate environmental education. But we need proper training and resources. Many schools lack basic infrastructure, so implementing advanced sustainability concepts is challenging.
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Sarah B
Wonderful initiative! The 38 eco-innovations mentioned show that Indian youth are ready to lead the sustainability movement. We need more such platforms to showcase and scale these ideas. India has the potential to become a global leader in sustainable technology.
V
Vikram M
While I appreciate the sentiment, we must ensure this doesn't become another burden on students. The curriculum is already overloaded. Sustainability should be integrated into existing subjects rather than adding another separate subject.
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Kavya N
This is the right approach! In our Indian culture, we've always valued living in harmony with nature. Concepts like "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (world is one family) align perfectly with sustainability goals. We just need to reconnect with our traditional wisdom through modern education. 🙏

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