Education for sustainability within early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand
New Zealand’s unique natural environment is treasured for a multitude of reasons and its future relies on each one of us acting in a more environmentally sustainable manner. Education for sustainability can be used as a catalyst for positive change in children’s thoughts and actions towards the world in which we live (Davis & Elliot, 2003). By incorporating education for sustainability with Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996) across a range of curriculum areas, we aim to encourage in children a range of values, beliefs, attitudes, skills, strategies, behaviours and actions required for sustainable practice. The following essay will discuss the significance of education for sustainability within early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
According to the World Commission on Environment and Development’s Bruntland Report, sustainability can be defined as that which “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future to meet their own needs” (1987, cited in Davis, 2010 p. 8). A more simple definition could be “enough for all forever” (Education Queensland, 2008, cited in Davis, 2010). Sustainability is concerned with social justice, fairness and the state of the natural world whose life supporting resources need to be sustained indefinitely into the future (Davis, 2010). Davis continues that, in environmental terms, people are living beyond their means and a change in behaviours is needed to overcome current environmental challenges. However, before we can change how we live we must first change how we think. Education has an understandable role in instigating such changes.
In accordance with the Ministry of Education (1999), sustainability is a critical issue for New Zealand. We need to learn how to live within our means to reduce our impact on the world’s environment. This will preserve our natural resources for future generations. Sustainability is linked to resource management, which in turn is concerned with the use
According to the World Commission on Environment and Development’s Bruntland Report, sustainability can be defined as that which “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future to meet their own needs” (1987, cited in Davis, 2010 p. 8). A more simple definition could be “enough for all forever” (Education Queensland, 2008, cited in Davis, 2010). Sustainability is concerned with social justice, fairness and the state of the natural world whose life supporting resources need to be sustained indefinitely into the future (Davis, 2010). Davis continues that, in environmental terms, people are living beyond their means and a change in behaviours is needed to overcome current environmental challenges. However, before we can change how we live we must first change how we think. Education has an understandable role in instigating such changes.
In accordance with the Ministry of Education (1999), sustainability is a critical issue for New Zealand. We need to learn how to live within our means to reduce our impact on the world’s environment. This will preserve our natural resources for future generations. Sustainability is linked to resource management, which in turn is concerned with the use
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