Aspects of Environmental Education in Kenya’s Preschool Curriculum

Abstract

Following the prolonged drought that has affected Kenya since 2008, issues of environmental management and conservation have taken centre stage in the socioeconomic lives of Kenyans. Lack of rain has affected many parts of the country. Indeed it is estimated more than 10 million Kenyans need food aid to escape death. Lack of rains has led to drying of rivers which in turn has triggered water electricity rationing in major urban centres. The cost of production of major consumer goods has gone up resulting in rise of their prices and services. In this respect one can rightly say that every Kenyan has been sufficiently sensitized about issues of environment. The fundamental question about the problems being experienced and the ensuring debate is, however, is how much do Kenyans know about their environment? What is the source of their knowledge? These questions have to be addressed if Kenyans are going to take control of their environment. In this paper the writer examines the preschool curriculum which is at the basic level of Kenya’s education system. The writer has three objectives; • To highlight the environment education imparted to Kenyans in the formative years. • To critique the environmental education given at this level • To suggest ways of improving and strengthening environmental education at this level The general conclusion of the paper is that • There is need to involve Kenyans from their formative years about the need to protect and conserve their environment • There is need to review the preschool environmental education topics to ensure that they include the emerging issues about the environment • There is need to expose children from very early years of their lives on the conservation and management issues on environment Unless this is done, policies and efforts to conserve environment will largely remain ineffective.