The Education Ministry has decided to make a priority of improving teaching about the environment at schools as green issues begin to take on more importance in Greece, sources said yesterday.

Currently there is little education on the environment offered at schools. At the junior high level, environmental lessons are only offered on a voluntary basis after school hours for students who wish to remain to participate. In primary schools, there are two hours per week allocated to learning about the environment.

Questioned on the subject recently, six in 10 senior high school teachers replied that lessons offered on environmental issues are few or minimal. Other officials said they are more satisfied with the results so far but admitted that changes need to be made.

“Environmental education is on a satisfactory path as there has been an increase in programs organized every year by schools in the country,” Maria Daskolia, a lecturer at Athens University, told Kathimerini.

“The issue is whether we are satisfied with the results so far, given the increased importance of environmental protection and the higher interest shown by people on the issue.”

Dina Schiza, head of the environmental educational programs offered at secondary schools, believes that 15 percent of students have sat in on one of the courses. “We need a more systematic involvement from younger ages,” added Schiza.