Abstract
Sustainability in the early education in childhood is a necessary part of the curriculum which should be part of the service setting. Creation of natural environments and offering natural materials in a single way to ensure sustainability takes place. Sustainability can be termed as the “environment education,” is a method of learning about the environment and the way the natural system operates (Hessle, 2014). It is all that is required for the wellbeing and survival of the people which relates directly to the natural environment.
Sustainable education for the children would be various practices such as encouraging the children to take part in the recycling program or take part in developing new strategies for material recycling. The children can also engage in discussions concerning the sustainability practices, for instance, noting when a garbage dustbin has been full and empty it and correcting scraps which are left after a meal. They can engage in other activities such as turning off lights, using water cans while watering the garden, recycling of different items such as paper rolls, tyres, and plastic bags (Davis, 2014).
Different people have different perceptions of children taking part in the sustainability activities. Some believe that the physical activities might be stressing the children as it involves engaging in duties which they have to work. However, there is a mutual feeling where it is believed that the children are educated on methods of sustaining the environment while young and will continue to carry out the activities even when they grow up.
Background
Environment sustainability is an issue which has gained interest among all people, and there is a need for all people, including the children to be part of saving the environment. The education in the sustainability of the surrounding is divided in various environments such as energy use, purchasing, water management and minimization, biodiversity and chemical use. Excess application of all these environmental factors will use to extinction and people cannot survive without. Water for instance, if it is wasted, there will be a shortage and the people will dry of thirst and plants will not grow (Davis, 2014).
Educating the children on environmental sustainability is something which began in the past. Most educators at that time offered physical education such as separating waste material, emptying recycle bins and using wood tailing in carpentry work. The education has expanded and in the present children are offered practical examples and asked to follow the same examples, such as in going green programs and planting two trees after every cutting of a single tree. There are programs such as the Little Green Steps which was established for the children so that they can take part in physical environment sustainability. Including the young people is supposed to make sure that all people take part in saving the environment (Tolba, Abdel-Hadi and Soliman, 2010).
Ways to encouraging students to participate in sustainable practice
Children can be encouraged to engage in different activities which will be useful in environmental sustainability. Such of the activities include establishing programs such as the Little Green Steps. It is a collaborative project between the councils, childhood services, and community organizations. The little green programs are meant to educate the children from the early stages on maintaining the environment. They are introduced to easy tasks such as turning off water after use, for instance at schools. The students are encouraged to wash their hands after they visit the toilet, and after that, they should wash their hands.
The students are assigned compulsory duties in relation to the surrounding, which they are expected to maintain. In the school, they are supposed to keep the school compound clean through taking all the litter which is found in the surrounding and emptying the dustbin (Hart, 2013). They should also be educated on separating the waste material so that they do not dumb the material which cannot be burned on the dustbin. Participating in recycling material will be a method of earning some income. After the students recycle some of the material such as used papers, it may be used to make other materials which will be earning the students some income. All these duties will be teaching the students responsibility and showing methods which they can take the environment which they live in and how they can benefit from it (Hessle, 2014).
Safety Measures
While working in the environment, the children may come across various hazards which may cause a danger to their lives. Necessary measures should be established to promote the safety of the children. Before the children are released to operate in a certain area, there should be the establishment of the safety condition, such as no chemicals which may have adverse effects on the children. The activities being assigned to the students should be easy as they are still young and physical activities may cause harm. Example, when the children have to dig large and deep holes for tree planting, it might be considered as child labor since they are working more than they can handle.
There should thus be a measure of what the young people can handle while working in the environment. Another safety measure should be checking the health of the children before they are released to carry out some of the physical duties. For instance, working in the environment to collect litter and separate it, not all young people can handle it due to their physical health situations. Ensuring that the children are wearing protective clothing while they are carrying out activities in the environment is another safety measure. They should wear gloves, overall and gumboots so that they can be protected against any unsuspected harm such as sharp objects and chemical materials.
Methodology
Qualitative research will help establish the human experience and behavior which is demonstrated by the children. Not all children would appreciate engaging in hard activities while others do not simply follow the rules. A child may just decide to live water running even after they clean their hands, and even with a direction stuck near the water taps to remind the students to turn off the water. Some students are already aware that saving the environment is important and their behaviors on activities such as turning the water and lights off.
Quantitative research will involve data collection on duties which the students are assigned and how good they are at carrying out those activities (Tolba, Abdel-Hadi and Soliman, 2010). It will help determine the most suitable physical activities on environmental sustainability and those which are too hard for the young people.
Results and Data Analysis
Findings, Implications, Recommendations and Conclusion
Survey Results
5 surveys – Poor
16 surveys – Needs improving
7 surveys – Good
6 surveys - Excellent
Interview questions:
What does your rating suggest about the environmental friendliness of you and your family? Are you happy with the rating?
How could you and your family improve your habits to ensure a healthier environment for everyone to enjoy?
What sustainability practices within this children’s service are evident to you? How do you feel about sustainability within this children’s service?
Interview results 1:
What does your rating suggest about the environmental friendliness of you and your family? Are you happy with the rating?
I scored 63% - it suggests that I need improvement – I am happy with my rating however I can see why I need improvement. Putting on a jumper and more clothes rather than using a heater is probably smart.
How could you and your family improve your habits to ensure a healthier environment for everyone to enjoy?
Like I said before, putting on a jumper/more clothes is probably smarter than using a heater. Also using two different bins at home so my children understand the use and differences of the bins at their children’s service.
What sustainability practices within this children’s service are evident to you? How do you feel about sustainability within this children’s service?
- The use of different bins – red for general rubbish and yellow for recycling
- Turning off the lights of rooms that aren’t in use.
- Recycling toilet paper rolls and using them in children’s activities
- Using controlled amounts of water than the hose to clean areas – I see when you guys clean it’s very smart.
I feel very strongly about it, I think it’s great what this service does – not only is it safe for the environment but it really helps the children understand the purpose and ways. Only thing I can comment on is my families’ inability to keep it up at home just like you do in this center.
Interview results 2:
What does your rating suggest about the environmental friendliness of you and your family? Are you happy with the rating?
I scored 78% - my rating suggests that I am good at being environmentally friendly. I think I agree with this statement. My family and I are quiet good at being environmentally friendly. I always tell my children not to litter, recycle things like plastic bags and toilet paper rolls. I’m big on not using electricity unnecessarily because I don't like to spend money unnecessarily. If my children are cold I tell them to put more clothes on.
How could you and your family improve your habits to ensure a healthier environment for everyone to enjoy?
Only thing I can confidently comment on that would need improvement is our use with water. I do the dishes with the tap continuously running, I should probably fill the sink with the water and detergent and go from there. Changing these particular things might help the children do so within their childcare and future.
What sustainability practices within this children’s service are evident to you? How do you feel about sustainability within this children’s service?
- Use of different bins
- Turning off lights
- Recycled items like tyres in the garden, paper rolls, tree stumps, plastic bags etc.
- Using water cans to water the garden
I think the Centre does a good job at being environmentally friendly and sustainably active. I think it needs to be more imbedded in the minds of our children especially when it comes to using lights and water etc.
Interview results 3:
What does your rating suggest about the environmental friendliness of you and your family? Are you happy with the rating?
I scored 42% - I am shocked with my results, I didn't think I’d be this bad but I am so careless when it comes to being environmentally friendly that It’s bad. The only good thing I do is not litter. I guess I deserve the rating. I really don't think twice about my actions when it comes to using water, recycling, energy or pollution. I just do what I need to do to get through the day. It's bad because I’m probably not the best role model for my children and what the educators are teaching them at childcare and school.
How could you and your family improve your habits to ensure a healthier environment for everyone to enjoy?
Definitely lots. Use water wisely; buy energy efficient appliances, recycling all recyclable items, be more mindful when it comes to using the heater or AC. Maybe learn a few things that this children service offers for being sustainable.
What sustainability practices within this children’s service are evident to you? How do you feel about sustainability within this children’s service?
- Turning off lights in unoccupied rooms
- Different colour bins
- Safe detergents
- Recycled items
I feel this children service does a fantastic job at being environmentally friendly, I think it's time I learn a few things.
If environmental sustainability were not carried out, a problem would result since there would be wastage of the important environmental items which are necessary for human living (Davis, 2014). Sustainability should be educated even to the children to make them realize the importance of the environment so that they can develop a habit of taking care of it from their early days till when they grow up.
In conclusion, taking care of the environment would be beneficial for all people. All people including the children should be made aware of how to take care of the environment. Being assigned light duties will ensure that the young people are educated and instill values such as responsibility which is also required in their later life (Kearns, 2013). Taking care of the environment should be a collection duty and no exceptions should be made, though assigning of tasks should be done according to abilities of people.
References
Davis, J. (2014). Research in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability. Routledge.
Hart, R. A. (2013). Children's Participation: The Theory and Practice of Involving Young. Routledge.
Hessle, S. (2014). Environmental change and sustainable social development: Social work-social development. Volume II.
Kearns, K. (2013). The Big Picture PDF. Cangage Learning.
Tolba, M. K., Abdel-Hadi, A., & Soliman, S. (2010). Environment, health, and sustainable development. Toronto: Hogrefe.
