Sustainability in Early Childhood Education (ECE)

 Embracing Sustainability in ECE

Sustainability in the EYLF principle helps to guide the educators to nurture environmentally aware and socially responsible young learners. This principle showcases the pedagogical role of educators to create a sustainable learning environment (ECA, n.d.)

Understanding Sustainability in EYLF

According to EYLF, sustainability is spread across different dimensions:

• Environmental dimension: This promotes the care for the natural world by protecting and improving the environment. For example, practising food waste recycling and inviting children to participate in recycling activities helps them to better understand the connection between food waste and sustainable practices (ECA, n.d.).
• Social dimension: This encourages inclusion, peaceful and fair coexistence with local and global communities (EEEC, 2023). Engaging children in visual presentations to promote the awareness of social equity and cultural and disability rights helps to promote opportunities to collaborate and work on sustainable practices.
• Economic dimension: This supports the practices that contribute to economic development without adversely affecting the environmental and social dimensions. For instance, educators can encourage children to search for natural items from the ground to use in learning experiences, making sure that the habitats of small insects do not get destroyed (ECA, n.d.).

 

Analysing the impact on children's Development

Encompassing sustainability into ECE settings supports children’s learning and development. When children engage in exploring the environmental aspects, they learn to consider the long-term effects of their actions on the environment and communities. Social sustainability addresses the concerns of social equity, which helps children better understand the respect for diversity and inclusion (Learning, 2023).

References

ECA, E. C. (n.d.). Sustainability starts with babies and toddlers. https://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Every-Child-2404-Sustainability.pdf

EEEC. (2023). Sustainability and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). https://www.eeec.org.au/sustainability-and-the-eylf/

Learning, R. W. (2023, February 10). Principles & Practice - Sustainability in the EYLF & MTOP 2.0. https://www.realworldlearning.com.au/blog/Principles-and-Practice