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Early Childhood: A New Horizon in Education for Sustainability
Unformatted Document Text:  Conference Strand 1: Sustainability Education Early childhood: a new horizon in education for sustainability in Australia Sue Elliott RMIT University, susan.## email not listed ## Julie Davis Queensland University of Technology, j.## email not listed ## Australia Abstract Traditions of playing in nature and with nature are embedded in early childhood pedagogy. These traditions alone, however, are inadequate to transform the thinking and values required to integrate the social, economic and environmental concerns of sustainability. In Australia, early childhood educators are beginning to look beyond tradition to the new horizon of education for sustainability. If education for sustainability is a lifelong process, then it must begin in the earliest years of life during the most significant developmental period. It must not be left until a child begins formal schooling. Drawing on recent research at Campus Kindergarten, University of Queensland and other initiatives in the Australian early childhood sector, the authors will define and describe education for sustainability in the early childhood context. Factors that facilitate or constrain progress towards the new horizon of early childhood education for sustainability will be addressed. DESCRIBING THE CONTEXT Geographically, Australia is a diverse continent. Diversity is also reflected across a wide range of social services including services catering for young children aged birth to six years and their families. Children may participate in long day care programs, occasional care programs, sessional or extended-hours preschool/kindergarten programs, or family day care programs that operate in a day care provider’s home setting. Such programs are subject to either state regulations and/or federal accreditation requirements and may be funded by local, state or federal governments or operate on a commercial basis. In the school sector during the early 1990’s, environmental education was developing in Australia and provided impetus for questioning why there was no recognition of the foundational role of the early childhood

Authors: Elliott, Sue. and Davis, Julie.
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Conference Strand 1: Sustainability Education
Early childhood: a new horizon in education for sustainability in Australia
Sue Elliott RMIT University, susan.## email not listed ##
Julie Davis Queensland University of Technology, j.## email not listed ##
Australia

Abstract
Traditions of playing in nature and with nature are embedded in early childhood pedagogy.
These traditions alone, however, are inadequate to transform the thinking and values required
to integrate the social, economic and environmental concerns of sustainability. In Australia,
early childhood educators are beginning to look beyond tradition to the new horizon of
education for sustainability. If education for sustainability is a lifelong process, then it must
begin in the earliest years of life during the most significant developmental period. It must not
be left until a child begins formal schooling. Drawing on recent research at Campus
Kindergarten, University of Queensland and other initiatives in the Australian early childhood
sector, the authors will define and describe education for sustainability in the early childhood
context. Factors that facilitate or constrain progress towards the new horizon of early
childhood education for sustainability will be addressed.


DESCRIBING THE CONTEXT
Geographically, Australia is a diverse continent. Diversity is also reflected across a wide
range of social services including services catering for young children aged birth to six years
and their families. Children may participate in long day care programs, occasional care
programs, sessional or extended-hours preschool/kindergarten programs, or family day care
programs that operate in a day care provider’s home setting. Such programs are subject to
either state regulations and/or federal accreditation requirements and may be funded by local,
state or federal governments or operate on a commercial basis. In the school sector during the
early 1990’s, environmental education was developing in Australia and provided impetus for
questioning why there was no recognition of the foundational role of the early childhood


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