Law on ecological education of the population (2001)

(It is adopted on 20-th of November 2001) THE LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ON ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION OF POPULATION The given law regulates principles of the state policy, legal, organizational, financial and economic bases in the sphere of continuous ecological education of the population. With the purpose of maintenance of constitutional right of each person to live in a favorable environment as major state objective and realization of his constitutional duties demands high ecological culture of citizens, which they get during continuous education. CHAPTER 1 MAIN PROVISIONS Article 1. The basic concepts of the law In the given law the following basic concepts are used: The state policy in the sphere of continuous education of the population is the activity of the authorized state bodies directed on creation of conditions for realization of continuous ecological education of population, activity of the state bodies, the interested public organizations and physical persons, formation of ecological culture of a person and the society. Ecological education - the continuous process directed on teaching of the nation and the population to ecological knowledge, ecological education, strengthening of ecological culture, their correct and reasonable orientation in the sphere of nature protection and nature management, revealing of skills and formation of norms of behavior. Ecological education - a basis and the integral part of ecological culture, continuous, systematized process directed on increase of the level of moral attitude to the environment, which enables citizens to get abilities and knowledge, to develop skills and to reveal abilities, to show moral criteria and behavior during interaction with the nature. Ecological knowledge - the sphere of public consciousness, which is directed on reasonable nature management and maintenance of the natural environment safe for health of a man. Minimum of ecological knowledge - the minimal scope of knowledge necessary for each member of the society, which serves safe and low-wasted manufacture, saving of energy and natural resources, to economic and other activity, and also restoration of the natural environment and formation of the careful attitude to it. Ecological culture - home and world experience on harmonious interaction of the person and the nature, which promotes a healthy way of life, stable and sustainable social and economic development, ecological safety of the country and each person. Article 2. The legislation on ecological education of the population The legislation on the ecological education of population consists of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the given law, other laws, the international agreements of the Republic of Armenia and other legal acts. Article 3. The purposes and objectives of the law The purposes of the law on continuous ecological education in the Republic of Armenia are: a) a) Maintenance of provision of continuous, complex, cumulative ecological knowledge to the population and the person. b) b) Contribution in formation of ecological education and culture, harmonization of interactions of the person, the society and the natural environment, development of comprehensively advanced person. The objectives of the law are as follows: a) a) Maintenance and protection of the right of provision of ecological knowledge. b) b) Maintenance of legal, social and economic, organizational, psychological and other guarantees for ecological training, upbringing, education and development of ecological culture. c) c) Maintenance of the mechanisms of realization of objectives in the sphere of the existing informational and educational system. Article 4. Principles of the state policy in the sphere of continuous ecological education The principles of the state policy in the sphere of continuous ecological education are: a) a) Maintenance of the state guarantee of reception by the citizen of the minimal ecological knowledge. b) b) Compulsory character of ecological education at all levels of educational system, its continuity and integral character. c) c) Inclusion of matters of the ecological education in all target ecological and branch state programs. d) d) Orientation of ecological education in decision-making process on the matters of protection of the natural environment. e) e) Realization of the state policy in the matters of ecological education. Article 5. Sphere of ecological education and informing and a scope The part of the state ecological educational and informational spheres is the system of mass media, objects of various areas of human activity (production and service), culture and rest, tourism and sports, natural (reserves, natural monuments, national parks) and historical architectural complexes, urban and rural territories, which together with a network of educational institutes are directed on creation of corresponding conditions for formation of ecological culture of the person. The given law is applied to the state bodies, state and public organizations, which carry out nature management, educational, industrial activity, on systems of mass information, and also on persons and those social layers, which are concerned with the issues of ecological education. CHAPTER 2 SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATION OF ECOLOGICAL PROCESS Article 6. System of continuous ecological education The system of continuous ecological education is a component of the general educational system of the Republic of Armenia. It is the interrelated integrity of the state educational standards, provisioning continuity of educational programs of various levels and directions, courses, educational institutions and management bodies in the sphere of education. Article 7. Structure of the system of continuous ecological education Continuous ecological education includes the following levels: a) a) Preschool ecological upbringing and education (ecological education in a family and in the infant schools). b) b) Secondary ecological education. c) c) Secondary professional ecological education. d) d) Higher professional ecological education. e) e) Postgraduate ecological education. f) f) Education and upbringing of the broad layers of a society, in their number in the armed forces. Teaching of subjects with an ecological bias in all sections of educational system is carried out according to the state educational standards. Article 8. The state programs of ecological education Basis of organization of the state policy in the sphere of ecological education is the state integrated program of ecological education. Ecological education in the Republic of Armenia is carried out under uniform state programs. They are developed by the authorized state bodies, and also by public organizations. The competence of public organizations is established by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia. The programs are developed in accordance with the state standards. Article 9. Financing of ecological education The issues of realization of financing and licensing of the state integral, target, branch, territorial programs of ecological education of the Republic of Armenia are solved in the order established by the government of the Republic of Armenia. Financing of realization of the state programs of ecological education is made in the order established by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia. CHAPTER 3 MANAGEMENT OF SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA Article 10. The competence of the government of the Republic of Armenia in the sphere of ecological education The competence of the government of the Republic of Armenia in the sphere of ecological education covers: a) a) Development of the basic directions of the state policy in this sphere and creation of conditions for their realization, organization at the state level of the system of continuous ecological education. b) b) Development and realization of the state integral program of ecological education and other target and branch programs containing ecological matters. c) c) Participation in development of the international ecological educational programs. d) d) Determination of the order of licensing and the state accreditation of activity of the organizations and educational institutions in the issues of organization of the ecological education. e) e) Determination of the order of certification and accreditation of ecological vocational training of workers of the system of science, culture, public health services, education, the experts connected with activity, harmfully influencing on health of the person and the environment, state employees. f) f) Preparation and improvement of professional skill of experts - ecologists, the scientific, pedagogical staff and state employees for the system of ecological education. g) g) Information and scientific - methodical maintenance of continuous ecological education. Article 11. The competence of the bodies of territorial government and local self government The competence of the bodies of local self-government and territorial government in the sphere of continuous ecological education is regulated according to the law of the Republic of Armenia “On education”. Article 12. Participation of citizens and public organizations in ecological education In the sphere of ecological education public organizations and citizens have the right: a) a) to prepare proposals for perfection and realization of the state policy in the sphere of ecological education. b) b) to participate in competitions on development of state projects of ecological education. c) c) to participate in preparation of projects of the international cooperation in the sphere of ecological education. Public organizations and citizens carry out activity in ecological education according to the state licenses, which they receive in the order established by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia according to the state standards of ecological education. The organizations and citizens, who carry out activity in ecological education, have the right to present the application and to receive the reliable ecological information, which is necessary for realization of educational process. Each citizen has the right to receive ecological education. Parents and persons replacing them are obliged to bring up in children the careful and responsible attitude in relation to the nature. Article 13. The international cooperation in the sphere of ecological education The international cooperation in the sphere of ecological education is carried out according to the legislation and the international agreements of the Republic of Armenia. If in the international agreements of the Republic of Armenia other norms are stipulated, than are stipulated by the given law, then the norms of the international agreements are applied. The international cooperation is carried out in all levels of the state structures according to the international agreements, and also with educational institutions and physical persons by means of the contract. Article 14. The control over application of the law The control over application of the law is fulfilled by respective republican executive authorities, who are concerned with the issues of education, carry out environment protection and nature management. The government of the Republic of Armenia in accordance with established procedure periodically publishes bulletins about progress of realization of the state program of ecological education. Article 15. Coming of the law into force The given law comes into force from the moment of its official publication. 17 December 2001