Sustainability as a child's right

My name is Cheryl Hadland and I’m the founder and Chair of Tops Day Nurseries and Aspire Training Team. For decades I have advocated for children, and I am passionate about promoting sustainability in the classroom.

Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child speaks directly to the right of every child to a healthy environment, stating that “every child has a right to clean water, nutritious food, and a clean environment.”  Article 3 earlier states that “children’s best interests must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect them.”  As early years practitioners we know this, of course, but how do we incorporate these rights into our classrooms?

Those of us responsible for children must recognise that our management decisions can impact so much more than just the daily running of our settings. We must comply with the Rights of the Child agreement and ensure that our daily decisions lead to positive change to create a sustainable environment in which our children can thrive.

15 years ago, at Tops Day Nurseries, I began trialling my idea that it is possible to foster a sustainable environment for children in a nursery setting.  Some of my ideas went well, and others failed. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I have some suggestions you might consider in order to prioritise sustainability in your setting.

Cut energy costs

Have your energy costs gone up? Don’t worry, you can cut energy costs simply. 

First, use natural light as much as possible, and turn the lights off, especially if you aren’t using the room. Next, consider changing to LED lightbulbs. You will need fewer bulbs as they are brighter (as well as 80% cheaper to run). Fit warm LED lighting in parts of the classroom where you want children to relax, and use cool white lights in activity areas. Make sure heating, air-conditioning, fans, and lighting are turned off when the building is empty. So many nurseries keep heating on long into the evening and often, unnecessarily, on weekends. This wastes a ton of money.  

Encourage your staff and children to wear clothes appropriate for the classroom temperature, just as they would for outdoor play.  This way you can minimise heating and air conditioning. Also, instead of reacting quickly to someone feeling hot or cold, agree with your staff on a set room temperature range that is maintained no matter what. One person having a hot flush, or suffering a slow metabolism, doesn’t mean you must turn the heating or air conditioning up or down. 

More plants, less perfume

Do you have children and staff suffering from asthma and breathing difficulties due to poor air quality? Clean air is a child’s right, and you can do something about the air they breathe in your classroom.

Before investing in machines to clean the air, get some plants. Lots of plants! Plants naturally clean the air, and caring for them need not detract from your time with the children. In fact, the children can care for them with you! Take time to research which plants to get: peace lilies, spider plants, and cress are examples of plants that can survive too much love, or a little neglect, and still make the air cleaner.  

Also, avoid using aerosols in your nursery. Even personal perfumes can be toxic to young lungs. Rather use natural products such as bags of activated charcoal, and pick a non-toxic essential oil such as lavender or peppermint to add to diffusers. 

Finally, try to prevent people from idling their petrol or diesel vehicles outside your building, and ventilate the nursery from windows that face the garden rather than a busy road, if possible.

Electric car and solar panels

Purchase sustainable resources

Have you purchased a new property? Do you need to make decisions about the grounds, furniture and resources?

At Tops Day, we saved a lot of money by acquiring most of our resources second-hand from parents, or from eBay, car boot sales, and charity shops.  However, when you do buy a new piece of furniture, ensure that it comes with an extended warranty, and that you can get spare parts if necessary.  Check that it can be recycled at the end of its life, and that it is made from non-toxic materials.  

Discuss major purchases with colleagues and children as a team-learning exercise. You can talk about how many products are reliant on fossil fuels.  Children learn through discussion and will feel part of your journey toward sustainability! 

Lastly, try to purchase food in recyclable packaging, consider re-usable nappies, and use environmentally friendly cleaning materials.

Promote your sustainable curriculum to parents and the community

Would you like to offer curriculum that not only embeds sustainability in day-to-day life in the setting, but also encourages parents to engage on this issue with you?
According to a recent HP study, 91% of parents are concerned about the environment, and their concern is impacting their daily financial and personal decisions.  On the other hand, Country Living reports that 57% of parents believe their children are better educated about sustainable living than they are. We need to capitalize on the knowledge that many of our children are already inspired for a more sustainable environment.

Finally, consider working towards accreditations such as OMEP’s Education for Sustainable Citizenship Award, that facilitates engaging children and their parents on a sustainability journey, or the long established Eco Schools, Plastic-Free, or B.Corp awards to celebrate and promote your sustainable vision.

Conclusion

 To summarise: come up with some practical sustainability goals, discuss these ideas with your colleagues and community, and make some changes today.  No change is too small!  Join me in protecting the rights of children and in providing them with a safer environment in the classroom.

Reference

UNICEF. “How We Protect Children’s Rights: With the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”