Education for Sustainable Waste Management in Bhutan Schools

This report delves into the critical issue of waste management within schools in Bhutan, focusing on the implementation of sustainable practices like the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and waste segregation. The research, quantitative in nature, aims to assess the current waste management systems and the impact of these practices on the learning environment. The study, conducted through surveys with students, explores how effective waste management can enhance student learning and the role of teachers in promoting sustainable practices. The report highlights the negative impacts of improper waste management, such as health risks and environmental pollution, and emphasizes the importance of early education in waste management. The conclusion underscores the need for teachers to integrate value education, including effective waste management, into the curriculum to foster a sustainable and healthy learning environment.

Topic: Education for Sustainable Waste Management in Schools of Bhutan
Introduction
This research will primarily focus to give in-depth understanding of the current waste
management systems practised in schools within Bhutan. Basically, the purpose of the study
is to examine the waste management practices like 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and
segregation of school wastes at the sources. It will also assess how adoption of 3Rs can
effectively address the issues of proper waste management in schools. The design of the
research would be quantitative in nature where there will be descriptive and inferential data to
present in-depth analysis through numerical facts and the statistical methods. The data will
be collected through the survey questionnaires disseminated through various social media
platforms to the respondents. Particularly, for this study, students studying in schools within
Bhutan will be taken as the respondents through the simple random sampling method.
Moreover, this study will be done with strict adherence to the research ethics whereby
students will have the choice to participate in the study on their own free will.
The issue of effective waste management system has emerged as the recent global concern
attributing to climate change (Guo, 2009). In line with the global concern, it is an undeniable
fact that waste management issue doesn’t exist in Bhutan. Notwithstanding, such issues
sprout from corners as little as schools in the country and proliferate to become the national
issue (Norbu, 2008). Majority of schools experience an unpleasant learning environment
polluted with the strewn wastes in the campus (RGoB, 2012). These unhealthy waste
management practices in schools are hazardous on the learning behaviour of the students.
Moreover, unattended wastes and open dumping of wastes in school campus entice
scavengers like dogs, release bad odour, and even nurture airborne pathogens posing grave
health risks to the students (Penjor, 2007). In fact, these are the major issues of ineffective
waste management system in schools across Bhutan.
On the contrary, the waste problem and littering is more deeply connected with the mindset
and attitude of the people (Buenrostro, 2001). Thus, this mindset and attitude of effectively
managing one’s own waste should be taught right from the primary schools. Furthermore,
this study will help to educate and inculcate effective waste management practices in the
schools. Concurrently, this study will also help to answer the following research questions
and these concerns drove me to carry out this study:

1. How to sustainably manage wastes in the schools?
2. How education for sustainable waste management be helpful in the schools?
3. How might effective waste management practices enhance learning of students in
schools?
4. What roles do teachers have on the education for sustainable waste management in
the schools?
Conclusion
Apart from teaching mainstream subjects and contents, teachers have underestimated the
importance of imparting value educations like effective waste management education in
the schools. Undeniably, this sustainable waste management practices are the significant
value education teachers should teach in the schools. Therefore, this research on
“Education for sustainable waste management in schools of Bhutan” will focus on
overcoming this issue. Moreover, in order to obtain deeper insight of the issues of
sustainable waste management in the schools, suitable designed tools and sampling
methods will be used in the study. On the other hand, ethical considerations and
misinterpretations will be judiciously evaded for obtaining genuine validity and reliability
of the study.

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