Schoolchildren as educators: the indirect influence of environmental education in schools on parents' attitudes towards the environment

Abstract Schoolchildren appear to be better informed on major environmental issues than their parents. They ranked a sample of eight major issues in almost exactly the same order as a group of professional biologists, but differently from their parents. There is evidence that a programme of environmental education received by children indirectly influenced their parents in recycling paper, plastics, and tin cans. More parents recycled these materials after the children's programme than before it. Keywords: SchoolchildrenParentsEnvironmental education