Sustainable learning should be integrated into everyday practices with young childrenThis theoretical paper explores how to educate young children for sustainable learning and a sustainable world. It specifically addresses the application of Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to early childhood education. Goal 4, along with the other 16 SDGs outlined by the United Nations, emphasize “education for all” and promote a shift from education to learning. In Goal 4, this is articulated as “ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.”
In addition to highlighting the importance of considering the diversity of cultural contexts in which children live, this article also discusses what learning for sustainability might mean and how sustainability concepts can be applied to both content and pedagogy in early childhood education (ECE). Additionally, five preconditions necessary for all children to experience sustainability in ECE are presented: (1) awareness of the fact that lifelong learning includes ECE; (2) awareness on the part of adults working with young children about sustainability and how this is relevant for young children; (3) the development of curriculum plans that include sustainability; (4) parental involvement in ECE; and (5) the inclusion of values (such as diversity, democracy, and unity) in ECE. While ideas about values of care, ethics, and democracy are most often related to children’s individual rights, ECE for sustainability calls for a focus on collective experiences. Young children need to learn -- not just about their individual rights -- but about their responsibilities to others and to a more sustainable future, as well. Values related to sustainability promote a pedagogy in which children are encouraged to take initiatives, think, and reflect.
A basic premise of this article is that sustainable learning and a sustainable world depend on each other and that sustainable learning should be integrated into everyday practices with young children.
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