DUNGUN, MALAYSIA: Turtle conservation will be taught in 20 primary schools in the state in a pilot project to begin soon

Terengganu will be the first state to do so and the pupils involved will be in Primary Four, Five and Six.

The module will be taught in Bahasa malaysia as part of the language subject developed by teachers here with the help of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Ma'Daerah Heritage Community Association (Mekar) which also mooted the idea.

Mekar, formed in 2004, is a local community group which is seeking to raise awareness on turtle conservation.

The project, which has been endorsed by the state education department, will involve 20 schools in Dungun and Kemaman.

Wan Roslan Wan Zaki, an Education Ministry officer who is the programme's supervisor, said the module was an "easy way to get the conservation message across".

"The Bahasa Malaysia subject contains segments on the environment but this one is specifically meant for turtles."

Mekar deputy chairman Mamat @ Mohammed Mat Zin hoped the module would be adopted nationally in future.

WWF Terengganu turtle programme community liaison officer River Foo said their main aim was to get pupils interested in protecting turtles.