目的

本次讨论会的目的是以环境教育为基础，以对大自然丰富的想象力和人类情操为前提，本着对大自然灵活运用的观点为中心，了解国外环境教育的事例，对与学校相关的环境教育步骤进程的优化做讨论和考察。并且更深入的以大学等研究机构为中心，讨论类似NGO，行政机关这样的与教育机构息息相关的组织对学校的支持，以及相关支持存在的方式。

培养对大自然的想象力和人类自身的情操，仅仅通过文字与图片的学习是远远不够的。对于环境教育来说，首先是需要对大自然有实际的体验。这种体验得到充分的培养后，将在对大自然有了更为敏锐的感知能力之上，获得更多的知识，对启发并且鼓励被教育者为了人类的生存，人类与其他物种的共存，生命与生存环境的相互维持而奋斗的愿望有着重要的意义。

为此，摆脱陈旧的“知识教育型”教育手段，而让“体验型”教育手段取而代之非常必要，此外我们还需要更多的具备自然体验经验和实践能力的教师。现在，日本的环境教育中存在着互有关联的各种学科被各自完全独立对待，或者忽略“综合学习时间”之类的现状，而环境教育涉及的领域又非常广泛，因此也成为了困绕在校教师的一个难题。那么，为了更好的开展教育机构希望对此问题得到社会性的认可。对于通过何种渠道获得相关的支援应该给予重视。我们认为相关支援的内容包括有针对性的实践计划的提出和专业的知识，以及有关工作可行性论证的信息的获取。

在本次讨论会的过程中。我们为了希望能通过高密度的研讨得到所希望的成果，所以我们希望研讨集中在一“灵活运用大自然的环境教育”为内容的主题之上。

1． 通过对大自然灵活运用的环境教育，我们是否以及如何使孩子们的心理基础得到建立和改变。

2． 对于教育手段的程序和实践办法的分析

3． 发现并且改变现存教育机构教学方式的问题及研讨如何采取措施。

在得到研讨的结果后，我们希望进一步就如何得到所需要的支持，以大学为中心，在从教育机构相关机构到支持的可行性，另外得到相关支持的步骤进行研讨。

In this symposium, we aim to explore and discuss what environmental education ought to be under the notion that the foundation of environmental education is based on sensitivity toward our surrounding environment and love for human beings in terms of how we interact with nature by learning from the current state of environmental education abroad. Then, we will explore suitable environmental education programs for the Japanese educational system in the light of possible assistance for EE by local authorities, non-government organizations, and academic institutions.

In order to nurture such compassion, it is not sufficient to learn only through written documents and photos. It is essential in environmental education to let people in the real field actually feel and touch their surrounding environment and raise their awareness, in addition to the acquired knowledge, toward the fact that we humans are a part of other living things and are maintained by coexisting with each other.

To achieve it, we should transform the existing “knowledge acquisition-oriented” classes into more “empirical” ones. We also need teachers who are capable of implementing various fieldwork events.

Today, environmental education in Japan has been put into practice as a part of each related school subject such as science and social studies and the “hours for comprehensive studies.” Yet, what environmental education deals with should be more diverse in a variety of realms. Thus, a certain system to provide support for schools is needed for this education. The assistance includes suggestions for teaching curricula, provision of professional expertise and methods for environmental education.

In this symposium, we will focus our attention on the “EE utilizing natural fields” so as to have a detailed and animated discussion. The chief topics for the discussion are as follows.:

1. What kind of minds can and should be nurtured through environmental education fieldwork activities?

2. What kind of methods, curricula and practices are there to achieve it?

3. What kind of issues we would encounter in practicing school education and how should they be solved?

Based on 1, 2 & 3, what sort of assistance can universities give and how can they do so?