One thousand "green schools" will be created by the Church of South India in the next year, as part of new environmental plan.

Representatives from 23 dioceses took part in a three-day programme on the environment in connection with World Environment Day (June 5) and have subsequently launched the green schools project.

"We have taken a decision to make 1,000 schools of CSI into Green Schools this year. While everyone, everywhere asserts the importance of 'learning to live sustainably', environment remains a peripheral issue in the formal schooling system," Professor Mathew Kosy Punnackadu, an environmental scientist, activist and writer who initiated the movement, told Anglican News.

The Green Schools Project aims to move beyond theory into a practice. It will include the development a student-led environment management system which will monitor the consumption of schools within campuses.

It will be run in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, which will provide training for the eco-teachers at each school.

"Schools will become Green Schools, students will study environmental science and will get good eco-insights, teaching and study will become more interesting and the results of the schools will improve," said Punnackadu.

"We started the campaign to enrol as many schools in Green School Project. CSI has more than 1500 Schools in South India. This year project aims to work with 1,000 schools."