TEHRAN — The 46th nature school across Iran was inaugurated in the city of Sanandaj, western province of Kordestan, on Saturday.

The school is the first of its kind in the province and is aiming at improving the youngsters’ environmental literacy, knowledge and understanding of the environment and the circumstances and conditions affecting it.

Taking 17 mobile nature schools nationwide into account, there are currently 46 nature schools up and running in the provinces of Tehran, Hamedan, Isfahan, Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, Mazandaran, Gilan, Golestan, Fars, Yazd, East Azarbaijan, Kermanshah, and Kordestan. Children aging 3 to 12 can enroll in the schools.

“Setting up nature schools nationwide is one our policy which we are pursuing in association with private sector and environmental groups,” Masoumeh Ebtekar, the chief of the department of environment said during the inauguration ceremony. “The ministry of education also plays an important role in promoting such extracurricular activities,” she added.

Nature school is not interfering with the normal school operating under Education Ministry’s supervision, rather it is a place for the children to spend their free time, enjoy environmental activities there with their parents, and get in touch with nature.

MQ/MG