Many hands make light work … students weed the garden at the No. 1 Basic State High School at Thaketa township as part of the environment day activities.

GARDENING events were held at the 40,525 government schools throughout the country on July 10 to mark School Green Environment Day.

Students brought fertiliser and plants of their choice, including shade trees and flowers, to plant at their schools to mark the event.

The activities also included weeding and making wooden barriers to protect the plants.

U Aung Moe, the principal of the No. 1 Basic Education High School in North Okkalapa township, said the event was aimed at helping students to learn about the benefits of a green environment.

“We instructed the students how to plant the trees or flowers so that they would gain experience in cultivation techniques,” U Aung Moe said.

Green Environment Day, launched in the 1999-2000 academic year, is one of four special activity days held at schools during the year. The others are family, health and clean environment days.

“These special activity days on the school calendar contribute to the all-round development of students,” said U Tin Nyo, the director general of the Department of Basic Education No.1 (Lower Myanmar).

Green Environment Day would foster an appreciation of plants among students, U Tin Nyo said.

“Students will learn how trees and flowers grow and how to nurture them,” he said.

The event would also help students to understand why it was important to preserve nature, U Tin Nyo said.