Answer To: Contemporary Issue in Early Childhood Education (EPA 6172)Word limit – 1000 words (not including...
Parul answered on Oct 05 2024
Socio -Political Sustainability
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Date -10th oct,24
Meaning of ‘Socio-political Sustainability’
While many sustainability programs have an environmental focus, socio-political sustainability in early childhood education extends beyond that.
It alludes to the inclusion of subjects like equality, social justice, human rights, and the effects that sociopolitical decisions have on people's lives.
This entails educating kids about matters that have an influence on people's lives, like resource availability, poverty, inequality, and discrimination (Paujik et al., 2020).
Children get an awareness of justice, the value of community, and how their actions and societal decisions might result in the inclusion or exclusion of others by studying these socio-political elements (Paujik et al., 2020).
Personal Journey | Why I chose this topic?
Early childhood education frequently emphasizes environmental sustainability (such as recycling and conserving the environment), but it frequently ignores these crucial socio-political elements that are just as crucial for creating a sustainable society.
I chose this topic because I think early toddlers can comprehend and interact with societal issues such as injustice, poverty, and human rights.
According to research, exposing kids to these subjects can help them develop critical thinking skills, increase empathy, and become engaged, informed citizens who can confront and question social injustices (Paujik et al., 2020; Whitehead et al., 2023).
A more comprehensive educational experience can be had by including socio-political sustainability into the early childhood curriculum.
It makes sure that, beginning in the classroom, kids learn not just about preserving the environment but also about building more just and equal society.
Rationale of Issue | Literature Research
Studies show that even young children can comprehend and interact with complicated socio-political topics including injustice, poverty, and human rights (Paujik et al., 2020).
These early encounters influence how kids view justice, fairness, and their place in the community.
Children start to acquire empathy, critical thinking abilities, and an awareness of how different people are affected by societal institutions when they are exposed to conversations about equity and social justice (Paujik et al., 2020).
Nevertheless, conventional frameworks for early childhood education tend to overlook the larger socio-political and economic aspects of sustainability in favor of environmental sustainability, such as recycling and protecting the environment.
Children's exposure to real-world social concerns is limited by this restricted focus, which keeps them from completely comprehending the intricacies of global sustainability (Paujik et al., 2020).
Critical possibilities to promote children's understanding of societal imbalances and their possible role in fixing them are missed when socio-political sustainability is not given enough attention.
Critique
On the other hand, detractors can counter that these subjects are too mature for young children or that it is too early to present difficult societal themes. However, research indicates that children may effectively interact with these subjects without feeling overwhelmed when teachers employ age-appropriate techniques such role play, storytelling, and inquiry-based learning (Paujik et al., 2020).
According to Paujik et al. (2020), it is imperative to incorporate socio-political sustainability into early childhood education, citing children's want to connect with these intricate subjects as well as their capacity to comprehend them. Their findings provide...