Environmental education should be treated as a life skill, not an optional subject

Future readiness cannot mean only numeracy and digital fluency. It must also mean understanding the living world, especially for the 12 crore children in government schools, many in places where human–wildlife contact is a daily reality. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto At GHPS Hebballa, a government school near Nagarahole National Park, a class of sixth-graders was asked to paint what an elephant’s home might look like. One boy, Laxmikant, sat with his blank page a little longer. He then painted forests, water sources, open spaces, the things an elephant would need. As he worked, he talked about the elephants he already knew: the ones that wandered into his village, damaged crops, and left people afraid. To him, elephants had always been something that showed up in human spaces uninvited.(Sign up for THEdge, The Hindu’s weekly education newsletter.) Published - November 10, 2026 08:30 am IST