Many individuals find gardening a stress reliever, they claim that gardening help them to ease some minor health problems; whilesome even consider it as a hobby.
As stipulated in the Department Order No.31, s.2012, Agriculture as a component of Technology and Livelihood Education will train a student to be responsible, critical thinkers, creative, and may help students acquire awareness of the significance of food supply of the country. Therefore, teachers of school gardening must exert great efforts in imparting their knowledge and gardening experiences to students.
Although school gardening can be a source of fun, pleasure, relaxation, and exercise it may also entail danger andaccidents for the students. School clinic records reveal that some students were actually injured while tending their garden and some were even brought to the hospitals. These occurred since students lack knowledge regarding thesafety precautions in the garden.
Like any form of accidents, accident in the garden happened because of various reasons. First, students seem to have lack of discipline. Next, they are not focused on what they are doing. Third, some teachers and students are not aware of thepotential danger or risks in the garden; they lack skills and trainings which should be imparted properly to the students. Lastly, most of the time, planning and preparation are also lacking.
What then are some factors to be considered toachieve a safe and productive garden? The teacher together with the students must plan and design a garden which may reducehuge maintenance and lifting. Teachers must see to it that loose paving slabs are removed; keep hosepipes ravelled and students must be reminded that they must stay away from uneven surfaces. Teachers of gardening must also consider the weather conditions, if possible students should be advised to avoid gardening if the soil is slippery. Another important thing to consider is the proper use and care of the garden tools. They must be also cautious of the sharp tools lying or scattered around. In fact, these tools must be locked away after use. It is also very important to inform students of the different types of plants which may be poisonous. Thus, they would be aware that they must not plant these. Moreover, students must be reminded not to use electrical garden tools or equipment in wet surroundings. At the same time, chemicals such as insecticides or other weed killers should be locked away. They must also be advised to wear safety equipment such as, hard hats, gloves, goggles, and boots.
To sum, students will realize that school gardening is not only a relaxing and enjoyable form of exercise, but also a source of income if precautionary measures will always be kept in mind.
Reference:
Department Order # 31 s 2012, Policy Guidelines on the K to 12 Basic Education Program (2012)
By: Mrs. Teresita C. Ramirez |TLE Department BATAAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL | Balanga City, Bataan
