Problems at school

About this information

Dealing with a problem at school

Discipline and punishment

Disruptive behaviour

Drugs in school

Bullying

Safety at school and on school trips

Exclusion from school

Truancy
About this information
As a parent, if you have been experiencing problems with a school and informal discussions have not
been successful, you may wish to take further action. When trying to solve a problem, you need to be
clear about what are the official procedures for resolving the problem.
In this information, we use the word parent to describe either or both parents, or the pupils guardian or
another person who has custody of the pupil. In Northern Ireland, the local education authority is called
the Education Authority.
Dealing with a problem at school
The general procedures for dealing with a problem at school are given in the following paragraphs and are
listed in the order they should normally be used. You may also find it useful to contact one of the
organisations which give information, advice and support on education issues before you take any action.
If you believe that discrimination is involved, make sure you mention this as soon as possible.
Talk to your child
You may be aware that your child has a problem at school either because your child has told you or you
have been told by the school, another parent or your child's sister or brother. Wherever possible, you
should discuss the problem and ways of sorting it out with your child before taking any other action.
However, depending on the age of your child, you may need to talk to your child's teacher in order to
clarify the problem.
Talk to your childs teacher
When you have identified the problem and are clear about where the duties and responsibilities lay, you
should first talk to your child's class teacher or year tutor about the problem before taking further action.

The teacher will usually be able to clarify the problem, provide more information and may be willing to
support and work with you if this is in the best interest of your child. The vast majority of problems or
areas of concern can be resolved in this way.
Talk to the head teacher
Although the head teacher has wide powers to run the school how they choose, they must do so in
consultation with the governing body or local education authority and in accordance with agreed policies.
The head teacher, particularly in a large school, may delegate responsibility for dealing with individual
pupils problems to another member of staff. However, you can insist on talking to the head teacher if you
prefer to do so.
Talk to other parents
If you think that your childs problem is one which may also be affecting other pupils, you may wish to
consider talking to other parents and taking action jointly or raising the issue at a parents association
meeting.
Talk to the governing body
You can ask the schools governing body to discuss your childs problem, either as an individual or on a
more general level. To raise the problem at a meeting of the governing body or one of its sub-committees,
you should telephone or write to the clerk to the governing body. You could also contact a parent governor
if you prefer.
Make a formal complaint
If you cannot resolve the problem by informal discussion, you may want to make a formal complaint to the
school. All local education authority maintained schools in England and Wales must have a formal
complaints procedure, and many other schools also have formal procedures. Ask the school for a copy of
its complaints procedure. The complaint is likely to be dealt with, initially, by the head teacher or another
designated member of staff. If the complaint cannot be sorted out in this way, it will then be considered by
a complaints appeal panel of the school's governors.
Appeal to the local education authority
Depending on the problem and the type of school, you may be able to appeal to the local education
authority or to the organisation which set up the school. For example, if your child is at a church school,
you may be able to appeal to a local Diocesan board.
You will need to check with the school, local education authority or the organisation which set up the
school whether you can appeal and, if you can, the procedure for doing so. If the right of appeal is to the
local education authority, you could talk to your local councillors before the appeal as they may be on the
appeal committee or may be willing to give advice and support.
If you are considering appealing, consult an experienced adviser for example, at a Citizens Advice
Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click
on nearest CAB.
Discipline and punishment

Government guidance says that a school's policy on discipline and punishment must show their
commitment to getting rid of all forms of discrimination, harassment and bullying. The policy should also
show the school's commitment to equality of opportunity for all pupils.
The policy should make sure that vulnerable pupils get the support they need. Vulnerable pupils include:

pupils with special educational needs

pupils with physical or mental health problems

migrant and refugee pupils

pupils who are being looked after by the local authority.

Pupils in all of these groups may show difficult behaviour and their specific needs should be covered by
the discipline and punishment policy of the school.
My son was given detention because the teacher said he disrupted the class. There was a loud
noise outside in the street and he was frightened because he was reminded of difficult things that
happened to him in his past - we are political refugees. He started to scream and run away, but he
didn't mean to be disruptive.
Detention is not appropriate in this case. It would be better for his teacher to let the class know that there
are special circumstances and to offer your son reassurance and support. Try talking to the school and
refer them to the government guidance on their discipline policy. If this does not help, talk to a specialist
adviser about what further action you can take.
A pupil can be disciplined by a member of staff in charge of them whether or not they are on school
premises, for example, if they are on a school trip.
The head teacher and teachers can use reasonable non-physical means to punish a pupil for
unacceptable conduct or behaviour. Any punishment must be fair, reasonable and within the schools
policy. Examples of reasonable punishment are extra work during school hours or being told off.
Detention
Detention after school hours is allowed, whether or not a parent consents to the detention, as long as:

a school has made it known to both pupils and parents that the detention of pupils at the end of
the school day is one of its disciplinary measures, and

the detention is carried out by the head teacher or another authorised teacher, and

the detention is reasonable, for example, the pupils age and any special educational or religious
needs are taken into account, and

the school takes the pupils safety into account by considering, for example, when it will get dark,
the availability of public transport to get home and the likelihood of racist attack, and

the pupil is aged under 18, and

the detention is on a school day or in England, also on a Saturday or Sunday during term time as
long as it isn't just before or after half term or a day set aside for staff training, and

in Wales, the pupils parent has been given 24 hours' written notice that a detention is due to take
place (this doesn't apply to lunchtime detentions)

If a pupil is injured or killed as a result of being kept in after school and, for example, having to travel
home later on their own, the local education authority or governing body may have been negligent and be
liable to pay compensation to the parent.
A pupil can be disciplined by a member of staff in charge of them whether or not they are on school
premises, for example, if they are on a school trip.
Confiscation of items
Disciplinary penalties may include confiscation and/or disposal of items like MP3 players or mobile
phones. The confiscation has to be reasonable in the circumstances. For example, government guidance
states that if a pupil is playing loud music on a personal music player, it would be reasonable to take it
away and return it at the end of the day. But it would not be reasonable to destroy it.
Corporal punishment
A member of staff can use reasonable physical force to break up a fight between pupils or to stop pupils
endangering themselves, other pupils or school property or to prevent a pupil from committing a criminal
offence.
Corporal punishment is against the law in all schools (including independent schools) and for children in
nursery education.
If you are concerned about the use of physical punishment, you should consult an experienced adviser for
example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can
give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
Disruptive behaviour
The way in which a school deals with a pupil with disruptive behaviour varies widely and behaviour which
one school considers to be disruptive may not be defined as disruptive by another.
Schools must also consider the personal circumstances of pupils before they decide what action to take.
For example, their policy about how they deal with disruptive behaviour must show that they are aware of
the special needs that many vulnerable children might have. Some schools have special units attached to
the school which specialise in helping pupils with disruptive behaviour.
A pupils disruptive behaviour may be one of the factors why a child does not attend school. For example,
they may have been temporarily or permanently excluded from school or they may be truanting from
school. If a child is not attending school, the local education authority still has a duty to provide suitable
education. Some local education authorities provide education in special units called Pupil Referral Units
(PRU).
A school may also try to deal with disruptive pupils by exempting them from part or all of the national
curriculum so they can take part in other activities. For example, pupils from the age of 14 may be

exempted from certain subjects so they can attend a course at a college of further education or to take
part in a work-place based programme.
For more information about education out of school for pupils from the age of 14, see Compulsory school
age in Access to education.
Disruptive behaviour away from school premises
Head teachers have the power to regulate pupils' behaviour off school premises if this is reasonable. This
includes disruptive behaviour from pupils on their way to and from school. Although schools can regulate
misbehaviour off school premises, they can only give punishments such as detention when the pupil is on
the school site or under the control of a member of staff, for example, on a school trip. Otherwise pupils
can't be punished until they are back at school.
In Wales the Travel Behaviour Code sets out what behaviour is expected from pupils travelling to or from
school or college. It applies to all types of transport to school or college, for all pupils aged 5 to 19.
Pupils who go by bus to school or college, must also follow the rules in the School Bus Travel Behaviour,
part of the Code.
The Code will be part of the school's behaviour policy and not following the code can result in disciplinary
action. This could include exclusion from school or loss of the right to use school transport. You can read
the code on the Welsh Government website at www.wales.gov.uk.
Drugs in school
Every maintained school should have a drugs education programme. This should be suitable for the age
and ability of the pupils.
All maintained schools should have a drugs policy setting out the ways in which the school will deal with
drugs on school property. A school may tell the police if illegal drugs are found at the school, or if they
suspect that illegal drugs are on the property.
government guidelines say that school staff can search a pupil and their possessions without their
consent if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that the pupil has illegal drugs. However, they
can't ask the pupil to remove any clothing other than outer clothing. A pupil's possessions can only be
searched in the presence of the pupil and another member of staff.
If school staff find illegal drugs they must hand these over to the police as soon as possible unless there is
a good reason not to. In this case, the drugs must be disposed of.
Truancy
All schools must note in their attendance register whether a pupil of compulsory school age is absent with
or without permission. If you find out that your child is truanting, you should try to sort out the problem as
soon as possible by talking to the school. Talk to your childs teacher to start with.
All local education authorities have an Education Welfare Officer (EWO) who can be asked by the school
to visit a pupil at home. The EWO will try to find out why the pupil is truanting and offer advice. The school
will then keep the EWO informed about the pupils attendance at school.

, where a pupil fails to attend school regularly, the local education authority or the school's governing body
can enter into a parenting contract with the parent. This sets out steps that you agree to take to improve
your child's attendance. It isn't compulsory to enter into a parenting contract but if you don't agree or fail to
keep to the terms of a contract you have signed, further action might be taken.
If the pupil continues to truant, the EWO will make regular visits to the pupils home and, if there is no
improvement, may send you a warning that court action will be taken against you. A school can exclude a
pupil from school for persistent truancy, although in practice this is rare.
local education authorities, head teachers and the police also have the power to issue a penalty notice if a
pupil is truanting. If the penalty notice is not paid, the local education authority can decide to prosecute. If
you disagree with the penalty notice, you can go to court and argue your case. Penalty notices must
comply with a code of conduct drawn up by the local education authority and if the local education
authority has not yet drawn up a code of conduct, it cannot issue a penalty notice.
If the police believe that your child is of compulsory school age and is absent from school without
permission, they can take your child back to school or to another place designated by the local
educational authority. If you believe that the police have acted unreasonably when they do this, you
should make a complaint.
Bullying
Government guidance says that bullying means behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time,
that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. Bullying can take many
forms, including cyber-bullying and is often motivated by prejudice against certain groups or because
another child is seen as different.
Government guidance says that state schools should have an anti-bullying policy which sets out the way
that bullying should be dealt with in the school. This includes:

bullying related to race, religion and culture

bullying pupils with disabilities or special educational needs

sexist bullying and harassment

bullying pupils because of their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation

cyberbullying (the use of mobile phones and the internet to bully pupils).

If there is no policy, you should contact the head teacher.

If bullying is so serious that your child is too frightened to go to school, or you fear for your childs safety,
you may wish to keep your child at home. However, this might be in breach of your duty to provide your
child with a suitable education. If your child is too unwell to attend school because of fear or stress, your
child should go to the doctor's and the doctor should be asked to provide medical evidence for the school.
If your child cannot get a medical certificate, you should make sure that in any letters you write to the
school you state that, in your opinion, it is not reasonable for your child to attend school because of
bullying.

If the bullying is extremely serious and the bully is over the age of ten, the bully could be prosecuted for a
criminal offence, for example, assault or harassment. If the school has been unable to stop the bullying,
you may wish to report the matter to the police.
If youve suffered abuse at school this may also be a hate incident or hate crime. You can report a hate
incident or crime to the police. For more information on hate crime, see Hate crime.
If the police will not act, or if the bully is under the age of ten, you could seek advice from a solicitor about
other legal action. For example, it may be possible to take legal action for negligence against the school
and the local education authority for failure in their duty of care to the pupil.
Safety at school and on school trips
Schools do not have to provide insurance cover for accidents to pupils. You may wish to arrange individual
accident insurance for your child and may be able to get information and advice on doing this from your
local education authority. Some local education authorities have negotiated special terms with insurance
companies. You could also get information on suitable policies from an insurance broker.
Teachers have a duty of care towards pupils while they are on the school premises or taking part in a
school activity, for example, a visit to a local swimming pool or a school trip away. This duty of care will
apply even if you have given permission for your child to take part in the activity. You should inform the
school if your child has a medical condition or disability which means that they are more likely to be
injured or that extra care should be taken, for example, if your child has haemophilia. All accidents should
be recorded by the school.
.
Exclusion from school
The procedures which can be used to exclude a pupil from school, and the procedures by which you can
challenge the decision, vary according to the sort of school your child attends. However, there is
government guidance which deals with discipline and punishment, and the school must follow this when it
is deciding whether or not to exclude a pupil..
Different terms are used in different schools when a pupil has been excluded, but generally the following
definitions are used:

temporary exclusion (suspension): this is usually done for disciplinary reasons and is for a fixed
period - see below

permanent exclusion (expulsion): this usually means that the pupil has been told they may no
longer attend a particular school because of serious breach of discipline, or for continual
disruptive behaviour - see below.

It is against the law for the school to discriminate, for example because of race, sex or disability when
deciding whether to exclude your child. If you think that discrimination is involved in the exclusion of your
child, make sure you mention this as soon as possible in any complaint you make.
My son has been excluded from school because he got into a fight with other boys in his class. He
says he was just trying to defend himself and he's never been in trouble before. None of the other

boys, who are all white, were punished. I can't help thinking that race discrimination is involved
we are from a Caribbean background.
It is against the law to discriminate against your son because of his race. Get advice from a specialist
organisation about what action you can take about race discrimination.
A pupil cannot be excluded temporarily for more than 45 days in any one school year. Exclusions of more
than 15 school days should be used rarely and generally a first exclusion of one to three days would be
appropriate. A pupil is usually excluded temporarily if they are in breach of school discipline, for example,
they refuse to wear the correct school uniform. If a pupil is excluded for more than one or two days, the
head teacher should arrange for the pupil to receive school work to do at home and to have it marked
when they return to school.
Permanent exclusion
A pupil may be permanently excluded for a serious breach of school discipline. A head teacher may
decide to exclude a pupil permanently if the offence is extremely serious, even though they have never
been excluded on a temporary basis. Where the head teacher needs to conduct an investigation into an
incident, they may initially exclude a pupil for a fixed period and then, once they have all the facts, convert
the fixed period exclusion into a permanent exclusion.
If a child has been permanently excluded, the local authority must make sure that other suitable education
is provided from the sixth day of their exclusion (in Wales from the 15th day).
In England, the local authority doesnt have to provide other suitable education for a pupil if:

they will stop compulsory education within the next six weeks and

they dont have any more public examinations or assessments to complete.

In England, the local authority will only provide part-time education for a pupil if they have physical or
mental health needs which mean it would not be in their best interests to receive full-time education. This
could be, for example, if a pupil develops a chronic illness or has a disability after an accident.
Parenting orders
a local education authority can apply to the magistrates' court for a parenting order covering the parents of
a child who has been excluded from school. If a parenting order is made, it means that you, as the parent,
have to exercise control over the child and attend counselling or a guidance programme. If you fail to keep
to the terms of a parenting order without a good reason, you are guilty of a criminal offence and could be
fined.
A local education authority or a school governing body may also apply for a parenting order even if a pupil
has not been excluded from school, but has behaved in such a way that they could have been excluded.
Exam results
If you are unhappy about results of examinations or assessments, the way to deal with the problem
depends on whether the exams are internal or external.
Internal exams

If the exams are internal, you or your child can approach the teacher, head teacher or governing body.
You do not usually have an explicit right to have the results of internal exam looked at again.

OTHER PROBLEM IS:

QUALITY
AFFORDABILITY
BUDGET
MISMATCH

1. Quality - There was a decline in the quality of the Philippine education,

especially at the elementary and secondary levels. For example, the results
of standard tests conducted among elementary and high school students, as
well as in the National College of Entrance Examination for college
students, were way below the target mean score.
2. Affordability - There is also a big disparity in educational achievements
across social groups. For example, the socioeconomically disadvantaged
students have higher dropout rates, especially in the elementary level. And
most of the freshmen students at the tertiary level come from relatively welloff families.
3. Budget - The Philippine Constitution has mandated the goverment to
allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education. However, the
Philippines still has one of the lowest budget allocations to education among
the ASEAN countries.
4. Mismatch - There is a large proportion of "mismatch" between training and
actual jobs. This is the major problem at the tertiary level and it is also the
cause of the existence of a large group of educated unemployed or
underemployed.
The following are some of the reforms proposed:
1. Upgrade the teachers' salary scale. Teachers have been underpaid; thus there
is very little incentive for most of them to take up advanced trainings.
2. Amend the current system of budgeting for education across regions, which
is based on participation rates and units costs. This clearly favors the more
developed regions. There is a need to provide more allocation to lagging
regions to narrow the disparity across regions.
3. Stop the current practice of subsidizing state universities and colleges to
enhance access. This may not be the best way to promote equity. An
expanded scholarship program, giving more focus and priority to the poor,
maybe more equitable.
4. Get all the leaders in business and industry to become actively involved in
higher education; this is aimed at addressing the mismatch problem. In
addition, carry out a selective admission policy, i.e., installing mechanisms
to reduce enrollment in oversubscribed courses and promoting enrollment in
undersubscribed ones.
5. Develop a rationalized apprenticeship program with heavy inputs from the
private sector. Furthermore, transfer the control of technical training to

industry groups which are more attuned to the needs of business and
industry.

MOTHER EARTH
So far weve covered the big bang to the formation of Earth, volcanoes, the early
atmosphere, water, ice, the beginnings of life on Earth, some really interesting
sea creatures, plant evolution,when fish began to walk, the rise and fall of the
dinosaurs, the rise of the mammals, the evolution of man, the rise of
civilization, and the Sumerians to the Ancient Greeks.Today well be keeping our
sights on the modern world and discussing the environmental issues that affect us today
and are likely to affect our future.Lets begin with an issue thats been with us since
prehistoric times.

Top 25 Environmental Concerns

1. Air Pollution: Pollution of air, water and soil take a huge number of years to recover. Industry
and engine vehicle fumes are the most obvious toxins. Substantial metals, nitrates and plastic are
poisons in charge of pollution. While water contamination is brought about by oil slicks, acid
rain, and urban sprawl; air contamination is created by different gasses and poisons discharged
by businesses and manufacturing plants and burning of fossil fills; soil contamination is majorly
created by mechanical waste that takes supplements out of the soil.

2. Water Pollution: Clean drinking water is turning into an uncommon thing. Water is turning
into a monetary and political concern as the human populace battles for this need. Waste from
industrial and agricultural activities pollute the water that is used by humans, animals and plants.
3: Soil and Land Pollution: Land pollution simply means degradation of earths surface as a
result of human activities like mining, littering, deforestation, industrial, construction and
agricultural activities. Land pollution can have huge environmental impact in the form of air
pollution and soil pollution which in turn can have adverse effect on human health.
4. Climate Change: Climate change is yet another environmental concern that has surfaced in
last couple of decades. Environmental change has different destructive impacts that include, but
are not limited to, the melting of polar ice, change in seasons, new sicknesses, and change in
general climate situation.
5. Global Warming: Environmental asset abuse is also an important environmental concern.
Fossil fuel utilization brings about discharge of greenhouse gasses, which causes environmental
change. However, individuals are taking endeavors to move to renewable energy sources.
6. Deforestation: Our woodlands create new oxygen and additionally help in managing
temperature and precipitation. At present, timberlands cover 30% of the area, but wooded areas
are being lost on a regular basis because people are looking for homes, food, and
materials. Deforestation is a huge problem and will just continue to get worse.
7. Increased Carbon Footprint: Temperature increases, like climate change, are the
consequence of human practices, including the use of greenhouse gasses. When the atmosphere
changes and the heat increases, it can cause a number of problems and start to destroy the world
we live in.
8. Genetic Modification: Genetic modification utilizing biotechnology is called genetic
engineering. Genetic engineering of food brings about expanded poisons and sicknesses as
qualities from a hypersensitive plant can exchange to target plant. Some of these crops can even
be a threat to the world around us, as animals start to ingest the unnatural chemicals and such.
9. Effect on Marine Life: The amount of carbon in the water and the atmosphere is continuing
to be a problem in the world around us. The primary effect is on shellfish and microscopic fish,
and it has similar effects to osteoporosis in humans.
10. Public Health Issues: The current environmental concerns represent a considerable measure
of danger to well-being of people, and creatures. Dirty water is the greatest well-being danger of
the world and poses a risk to the health and lifespan of people and animals.
11. Overpopulation: The number of inhabitants in the planet is arriving at unsustainable levels
as it confronts deficiency of assets like water, fuel and food. Overpopulation is one of the most
important environmental concerns.
12: Loss of Biodiversity: Biodiversity is yet another casualty due to the impact of human beings
on the environment. It is the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution. Habitat destruction is a major
cause for biodiversity loss. Habitat loss is caused by deforestation, overpopulation, pollution and
global warming.

13. Household and Industrial Waste: The over utilization of assets and formation of plastics
are making a worldwide emergency of waste transfer. Developed nations are infamous for
creating an unreasonable measure of waste or junk and dumping their waste in the seas and, less
created nations.
14. Ozone Layer Depletion: The ozone layer is an undetectable layer of protection around the
planet that secures us from the suns unsafe beams. Depletion of the critical Ozone layer of the
air is credited to contamination brought about by Bromide and Chlorine found in Chlorofloro
carbons (CFCs). When these poisonous gasses each the upper parts of the atmosphere, they
cause a gap in the ozone layer, the greatest of which is over the Antarctic.
15. Mining: Mining results in extraction of minerals from earths core. These minerals also bring
out harmful chemicals from deep inside the earth to the earths surface. The toxic emissions from
mining can cause air, water and soil pollution.
16: Natural Resource Depletion: Non-renewable resources are limited and will get expired one
day. Consumption of fossil fuels at an alarming rate can lead to global warming which can
further result in melting of polar ice caps and increase in sea levels.
17: Natural Disasters: Natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, cyclones, volcanic
eruption can be unpredictable, devastating and can cause irreparable damage. They can cause
huge loss of life and property .
18: Nuclear Issues: Radioactive waste is a nuclear fuel that contains radioactive substance and
is a by-product of nuclear power generation. The radioactive waste is an environmental concern
that is extremely toxic and can have devastating effect on the lives of the people living nearby, if
not disposed properly. Radioactive waste is considered to be harmful for humans, plants, animals
and surrounding environment.
19. Loss of Endangered Species: Human overpopulation is prompting the elimination of
species and environmental surroundings and the loss of various biomes. Environmental
frameworks, which took a huge number of years to come into being, are in risk when any species
populace is huge.
20. Acid Rain: Acid rain happens because of the vicinity of specific poisons in the climate.
Corrosive downpour might be brought about because of use of fossil fuels or volcanoes or
spoiling vegetation which discharge sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air.
21: Agricultural Pollution: Modern day agriculture practices make use of chemical products
like pesticides and fertilizers to deal with local pests. Some of the chemicals when sprayed do
not disappear and infact seeps into the ground and thereby harms plants and crops. Also,
contaminated water is used for irrigation by farmers due to disposal of industrial and agricultural
waste in local water bodies.
22: Light and Noise Pollution: Noise pollution is another common form of pollution that causes
temporary disruption when there is excessive amount of unpleasant noise. Construction
activities, industrialization, increase in vehicular traffic, lack of urban planning are few of the
causes of noise pollution.

23. Urban Sprawl: Urban sprawl alludes to relocation of populace from high thickness urban
ranges to low density provincial zones which bring about spreading of city over more rustic area.
Urban sprawl brings about expanded movement, environmental concerns and well-being
concerns.
24: Medical Waste: Medical waste is any kind of waste that is produced in large quantity by
healthcare centers like hospitals, nursing homes, dental clinics and is considered to be of a biohazardous nature. The waste can include needles, syringes, gloves, tubes, blades, blood, body
parts and many more.
25: Littering and Landfills: Littering simply means disposal of piece of garbage or debris
improperly or at wrong location usually on the ground instead of disposing them at trash
container or recycling bin. Littering can cause huge environmental and economic impact in the
form of spending millions of dollars to clean the garbage of road that pollute the clean air.
Landfills on the other hand are nothing but huge garbage dumps that make the city look ugly and
produce toxic gases that could prove fatal for humans and animals. Landfills are generated due to
large amount of waste that is generated by households, industries and healthcare centers
everyday.

How can we save mother earth?

Agriculture is a very important sector that helps alleviate hunger and poverty. It is also
essential for the development of a country, but unfortunately people are using some
very poor practices which is destroying our mother earth.
Land transformation, the use of land to yield goods and services, is the most substantial
way humans alter the Earth's ecosystems, and is considered the driving force in the loss
of biodiversity. Estimates of the amount of land transformed by humans vary from 39 to
50%. Land degradation, the long-term decline in ecosystem function and productivity, is
estimated to be occurring on 24% of land worldwide, with cropland overrepresented.
The UN-FAO report cites land management as the driving factor behind degradation
and reports that 1.5 billion people rely upon the degrading land. Degradation can be
deforestation, desertification, soil erosion, mineral depletion, or chemical degradation
(acidification and salinization).
Eutrophication, excessive nutrients in aquatic ecosystems resulting in algal
blooms and anoxia, leads to fish kills, loss of biodiversity, and renders water unfit for
drinking and other industrial uses. Excessive fertilization and manure application to
cropland, as well as high livestock stocking densities cause nutrient
(mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) runoff and leaching from agricultural land. These
nutrients are major nonpoint pollutants contributing to eutrophication of aquatic
ecosystems.
Agriculture accounts for 70% of withdrawals of freshwater resources. Agriculture is a
major draw on water from aquifers, and currently draws from these underground water
sources at an unsustainable rate. It is long known that aquifers in areas as diverse as
northern China, the Upper Ganges and the western US are being depleted, and new
research extends these problems to aquifers in Iran, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
Increasing pressure is being placed on water resources by industry and urban areas,

meaning that water scarcity is increasing and agriculture is facing the challenge of
producing more food for the world's growing population with fewer water resources.
Agricultural water usage can also cause major environmental problems, including the
destruction of natural wetlands, the spread of water-borne diseases, and land
degradation through salinization and waterlogging, when irrigation is performed
incorrectly.
So from this article we see that there is still a lot we have to do to save our dying mother
earth.