Problem setting. Environmental education and enlightenment in a rapidly changing world should become the goal and essence of new education, a tool to reduce tensions not only between society and the environment but also between peoples, an instrument of peace and mutual understanding. This is the sphere of international cooperation, where the unity of interests of the world community in the self-preservation of world civilization is most noticeable.Recent research and publications analysis. The objective, tasks, principles and philosophical understanding of the importance of environmental education, its essential and substantive characteristics are covered in the works of N. Anatska, G. Biliavskyi, V. Tanska, M. Drobnokhod, M. Moiseev, and others. V. Chervonetskyi, A. Bereka, A. Shumilova, A. Shevel, V. Krysachenko and M. Khylko studied ecological education as one of the directions of the formation of ecological culture. Conceptual principles of increasing the level of environmental education in protected areas are substantiated in the work of O. Mudrak. Peculiarities of activity of regional public eco-organizations in the realization of informal ecological education of youth were studied by O. Dukh, O. Halahan and I. Mykhaliuk.Highlighting previously unsettled parts of the general problem. The choice of our study is due to the contradiction in the need of modern society to take practical action to improve the quality of the environment, the development of an ecologically literate population capable of an ecologically centric approach in relation to nature, and the lack of a systematic approach to this process. A comprehensive approach to the organization of training of all subjects of environmental education will ensure that the population receives the greatest amount of necessary environmental knowledge and skills, regardless of age and professional differences.Paper main body. There has been carried out the analysis of the essence of such concepts as “environmental education” and “environmental enlightenment”. The principles, goals, objectives and structure of environmental education are substantiated. The necessity for systematic organization of continuous environmental education and enlightenment for sustainable development is proved. The role of environmental education and environmental enlightenment in the system of public administration is determined. Elements of the system of environmental education are given, which also include environmental enlightenment and self-education.Conclusions of the research and prospects for further studies. The domestic system of environmental education is fragmentary, unsystematized, does not have proper management of educational processes that would meet modern challenges. Traditional educational paradigms require a significant revision and introduction of innovative and most effective methods, techniques, forms, technologies for the formation of environmental education and improving the environmental culture of the population.Non-formal environmental education and enlightenment should become one of the priorities and strategic directions of the state environmental policy at both the national and regional levels, and receive appropriate financial support.The urgency of the topic does not cover all aspects of the problem of the continuous environmental education and enlightenment, as they require further development of cooperation between public authorities and local governments with numerous educational and public organizations that can provide environmental education services to the population.
Theory and practice of environmental education at the end of XX century: problems of development