Primary School Children's Understanding of Municipal Waste Processing

The basic features and goals of environmental education incorporated into curricula for primary and lower secondary education in Slovenia are discussed. In this preliminary study we have attempted to establish a hypothesis about Slovene children's understanding of concepts relating to the problem of waste. For this purpose we tested 2nd‐5th grade pupils of elementary schools in the state capital and its surroundings. In the 2nd and 3rd grades children generally define waste, at the concrete level (by enumerating types of waste; they mention paper, glass, food waste. metals and plastics); only later, in the 4th and 5th grades, are the children able to make generalisations by defining waste according to various properties and waste recyclability. The test findings show that waste processing products, e.g. compost and recycled paper, are not well known. The children tested were unable to link these two products with the source of waste generation. In spite of the fact that school children are encouraged to collect paper, the purpose of this activity is not well enough explained; likewise with compost, even though its use is widespread. Instead of having the emphasis only on the emotional component of environmental education, Slovene children should be taught about environmental problems which are part of our everyday life.