We already talked about how parents and teachers are leading the green revolution in schools and at home, but a recent article in the New York Times points to a slightly different dynamic in the diffusion of green knowledge. From coast to coast, it seems that teachers in the US are emphasizing the importance of going green to students, who then enthusiastically spread the word to their parents. Many parents seem to embrace their children’s new-found eco-awareness, but sometimes it goes a little too far.

Of course, children don’t have to worry about family finances, so they tell their parents to buy hybrids, shut off the water on a dime, recycle every shred of paper and piece of plastic, compost the garbage, and install solar panels, all with a clear conscience. The real trouble seems to come when their tone gets a little too authoritative, especially when they start preaching to neighbors and strangers alike. With the teachers at school emphasizing the importance of going green in every way you can, it’s no wonder that impressionable youngsters would absorb the lessons they learn and attempt to apply them as often as possible. But according to the article, the rising popularity of an eco-centric curriculum puzzles observers who feel that tax money should go toward reading, math, and raising standardized test scores. So who’s right?

I’m pleading the fifth on that particular question, but I do have a general opinion. Personally, teaching kids to go green and take care of their planet makes a lot of sense, especially since it’ll be their world to protect in the near future. At the same time, it may be a little excessive to fund extravagant, in-depth green school educational programs at the expense of teaching children the basic reading, writing and math skills they need to survive. I’ll take my children knowing only the basics of recycling and green living if it means they know a whole lot more about how to take care of themselves as adults. But as someone who isn’t living in the middle of the fray, I can’t definitively tell you how it should be. So if you’re a teacher or a parent with an opinion on the issue, feel free to leave a comment.

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