From Textbooks to Tree Planting: Role of School Heads in Implementing NEP 2020’s Environmental Education Mandate

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes environmental awareness, sustainable development, experiential learning, and value-based education as integral components of the Indian education system. The policy encourages schools to move beyond textbook-oriented teaching and engage learners in practical environmental activities such as tree plantation, waste management, biodiversity conservation, and eco-club participation. In this transformative process, school heads play a significant role as educational leaders, policy implementers, motivators, and coordinators of sustainable school practices. The present study explores the role of school heads in implementing the environmental education mandate of NEP 2020 through administrative leadership, curriculum integration, community participation, and green school initiatives. The study also examines the challenges faced by school heads, including inadequate resources, lack of training, infrastructural limitations, and policy implementation gaps. The paper highlights how visionary leadership can transform schools into environmentally responsible learning spaces by promoting experiential and participatory learning. The study is qualitative and analytical in nature and is based on policy analysis, literature review, and educational perspectives on sustainable development. The findings suggest that active involvement of school heads significantly enhances environmental consciousness among students and contributes to the achievement of sustainable educational goals envisioned in NEP 2020 (Government of India, 2020; UNESCO, 2021).