Environmental Challenges Faced by a Kindergarten and a School in the Katima Mulilo Education Circuit

Introduction. A favorable educational environment – social, cultural, biological, and physical – plays a crucial role in achieving children’s academic goals. The educational environment increases children’s interest in learning. It fosters a positive attitude among children and contributes to enhancing their sense of security. However, the reality is that preschools and secondary education institutions face challenges related to administration, academic performance, attendance, and health. All these issues belong to environmental challenges. Goals. This study examines the environmental challenges faced by preschools and secondary education institutions in the Katima Mulilo district, outlines possible solutions, and provides further recommendations. The research questions guiding this study were as follows: What are the environmental challenges faced by a kindergarten and a school? How do these environmental challenges affect learners and teachers at the kindergarten and a school? What can be done to tackle these environmental challenges at the kindergarten and a school? Methods. A qualitative research approach was chosen as it is suitable for understanding human behavior, opinions, themes, or motivations. This method is appropriate for this study because participants were required to share their perspectives and express their thoughts about their school environment, allowing researchers to gather detailed experiences and feedback from the population. The study also employed the case study method. The context of this research focuses on the environmental challenges of preschools and schools, and the concepts and constructs derived from them helped provide a deeper understanding of the problem. Since this is a qualitative research project, data were collected through observation and interviews. Conclusions. Preschools and schools face numerous environmental challenges, such as bush encroachment, poor sanitation, inadequate infrastructure, and overcrowded classrooms. It was also found that the severity of these problems was not fully recognized, resulting in very slow progress in addressing them. Effective learning is influenced not only by teachers and students but also by other participants in the educational process and the school environment. This study has contributed to identifying solutions to improve the academic atmosphere, from preschool to primary school.