Environmental related projects at Nxuba Senior Primary School in South Africa : Constraints and possibilities

Abstract: Since the end of apartheid South Africa has been rebuilding the country with the aim to create a society based on equality. In the rebuilding and formation of a new constitution the aim to build a society based on the principles of sustainable development is evident. Education is an important part in the rebuilding. This thesis is a case study of Nxuba Senior Primary School in the traditionally black township Lingelihle in Eastern Cape. The objective is to analyse how the school management can engage in environmental issues and take the role of promoting values, attitudes and lifestyles for sustainable development to its learners. There are three research questions: What environmental related projects are being done at Nxuba Senior Primary School? How do the school management motivate the projects? How do these projects affect the learners’ environmental awareness and ability to act pro-environmentally? The thesis is based on a field study where school documents were analysed and in-depth interviews with the school management and a questionnaire among the learners were carried out. The theoretical framework that is presented discusses what factors influence sustainable behaviour and what conditions foster pro-environmental behaviour among children. Four environmental related projects are identified at the school; a recycling project, an environmental awareness club, a vegetable garden as well as an indigenous garden and greening of the school. Based on the questionnaire the learners’ attitudes towards environmental issues and their pro-environmental behaviour are examined. In the discussion the motives behind the projects concluded to be a combination of environmental and social motives. The projects are put in relation to Stern’s four factors influencing pro-environmental behaviour and Chawla and Cushing Flanders’ six conditions for fostering pro-environmental behaviour among children.