The environmental problems have been worsened by the rapid increase of population, its urbanization and industrialization. The ecological balance of nature has been lost, and our living environment has been threaten to destruction. The environmental problems are characteristically inherent with domino effects. Once they occur, they tend to spread out and extensive damages are brought out. When they are left untreated for a prolonged period of time, their effects are well likely to be felt even in the future generation. A tentative or bandage-aid type of approach to the problems, however, would see no effects, nor can the problems be corrected at all by any short-time operations. Environmental problems are basically a product of our misguided representation about the environment. With no educational approach can no one expect any substantially positive results. The necessity of such a method for students at primary and secondary school levels is particularly self-evident. And accordingly environmental education is becoming increasingly important in the school education. It is, of cause, not viewed that environmental education would be the only way to tackle the problems. One should be aware of that fuctions and roles of environmental education are, in fact, quite limited and restricted. An educational approach alone would not suffice, nor is it possible, to deal with a variety of problems we are facing at present. Nevertheless, the solution found through education can definitely play an important role. Education helps children as well as adults be primed with a correct and realistic understanding about our environment. An educational approach would find its value in stopping future problems. which might be even worse than what we have presently. as well as finding specific solutions for those problems we are already burdened with at this point. It is now time for each individual to recognize the fact that solutions of environmental problems must be preceded by people's changes in thought and behavior toward environment and that such changes can be brought out most efficiently by education. In this paper the concept of the "Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development" expressed in Environment for Our Common Future, the report of the United Nations-appointed World Commission on Environment and Development(1987), was linked to environmental education, and was introduced as a key moral imperative for each generation to safeguard and improve the prospects of future generations. Also, the historical developmental process, problems and issues of environmental education in Korea were identified and summarized. In addition, Four basic principles of environmental education, such as principles of balance, integration, continuation and real-life situation, were presented. Finally some concrete educational strategies and recommendations were made for the improvement of environmental education in schools.