The development and implementation of the sustainable intervention strategy for solid waste management in primary schools : a case of Nkangala District, Mpumalanga province

Abstract

The aim was to develop and implement a sustainable intervention strategy for solid waste management. From anecdotal evidence, some schools in Nkangala district across different circuits would be polluted with solid waste, and teaching and learning would continue to take place with no concerns about any environmental issues. This was a clear indication that there were minimal or no solid waste management practices put in place that were sustainable and could serve as a guideline to manage the amount of solid waste generated. I adopted a qualitative interpretative multiple case study design embedded within social constructivism. My study took place in three primary schools under the Kwaggafontein East circuit and Tweefontein South Circuit in Nkangala district, Mpumalanga province in South Africa. School principals, school governing body chairpersons, general workers, food handlers, intermediate phase teachers, and learners in the intermediate phase were purposefully sampled. Data was collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and a diary. This data shaped the strategy that involved partnerships in primary schools, called the sustainable intervention strategy for solid waste management through partnership (SISS-WMP). A typology approach was used to analyze the data. Based on the findings, I can infer that some participants did not have an adequate understanding of concepts such as the environment, solid waste, and solid waste management. It is recommended that workshops be facilitated in order to educate these participants about what environment, solid waste and solid waste management mean. So that they can have an understanding, knowledge, and skillset as this will assist them to appreciate solid waste management and environmental education. Enormous amounts of solid waste were generated through day-to-day activities, which was disposed inappropriately. It is recommended that the SISS-WMP be implemented for a longer period as the implementation was for a short period of time. Furthermore, studies can be conducted in different contexts such as further education and training bands, circuits, districts, provincially and in different countries across the world, as the results from these different environments could assist in fine-tuning the SISS-WMP.

Ihloso yerhubhululo leli bekukuthuthukisa iqhinga elinzinzileko lokulawuleka kweenzibi. Ngokwethulwa kobufakazi obukhona, ezinye iinkolo ezingaphasi kweNkangala distrigi ukuya kwamasekethe ahlukahlukeneko zizokusilaphazeka ngeenzibi, begodu ukufunda nokufundisa kuzokuragela phambili ngaphandle kokukhathalela iindaba zebhoduluko. Lokhu bekuyikomba yokobana ayimvelakancani namkha awekho amahlelo wokukulawulwa kweenzibi anzinzileko angabamhlahlandlela wokulawula inani leenzibi ezikhona. Ngithethe isifundo se-qualitative interpretative multiple case study design esibekiswe ngaphakathi kwe-social constructivism. Isifundo sami senzeke eenkolweni ezintathu zamabanga aphasi ezingaphasi kwesekethe yeKwaggafontein East neTweefontein South eNkangala district, esifundeni seMpumalanga eSewula Afrika. Abotitjherehloko, abosihlalo behlangano ejamela ababelethi, abasebenzi abasiza eenkolweni, abaphekako, abafundi nabotitjhere bamabanga aphasi bebakhethwe ngehloso yokusampula. Imininingwana beyibuthelelwa ngokubona namkha ukuqala, ukuhlungwa nokuhlungwa ngeenqhema nedayari. Lokhu kubumbe iqhinga elinganisa ukubambisana kweenkolo zamabanga aphasi eliliHlelo lokuLamula eliNzinzileko lokuLawuleka kweeNzibi ngokubambisana (SISS-WMP) lathonywa belaphumeleliswa ngokwehlelo elibekiweko. Kusetjenziswe indlela yethayipholoji ukubuthelela imininingwana. Ngemininingwana etholakeleko, ngingarhonona bonyana abanye abahlanganyeli abazwisisi ngokulingeneko ngebhoduluko, iinzibi, nokulawuleka kweenzibi. Kuphakanyisiwe bona kubenesifundobandulo esizokufundisa abahlanganyeli mayelana nokulawulwa kweenzibi ukuze bakghone ukuzwisisa, babenelwazi nekghono elizobasiza bamukele ukulawulwa kweenzibi nefundo yebhoduluko. Likulu inani leenzibi ebelibuthelelwa ngemisebenzi yangamalanga, ebelingalahlwa eendaweni ezifaneleko. Kuphakanyisiwe bona ihlelo le-SSIP-WMP liphunyeleliswe isikhathi eside ukuze ngikghone ukubona imiphumela efaneleko njengoba belibanjwe isikhatjhana. Kuphakanyisiswe bona irhubhululo yenziwe eendaweni ezahlukahlukeneko, njengemazikweni aphezulu wezefundo, amasekethi, amadistrigi, eemfundeni kanye nemazweni ahlukahlukeneko ephasini mazombe, njengoba imiphumela yeembhoduluko ezahlukahlukeneko ingasiza ukuthuthukisa ihlelo le-SISS-WMP.

Injongo yayikukuphuhlisa nokuphumeza isicwangciso songenelelo esizinzileyo kulawulo lwenkunkuma eqinileyo. Ngokusuka kubungqina obungantsonkothanga, ezinye izikolo kwisithili saseNkangala kwiisekethe ezahlukeneyo ziya kungcoliswa yinkunkuma eqinileyo, kwaye ukufundisa nokufunda kuya kuqhubeka kuqhutywa kungekho nkxalabo malunga nayo nayiphi na imiba yokusingqongileyo. Oku bekukho isalathisi esicacileyo sokuba bekukho iindlela zolawulo lwenkunkuma eqinileyo ezingephi okanye azikho ezizinzileyo nezinokuthi zibe sisikhokelo sokulawula ubungakanani benkunkuma eqinileyo eveliswayo. Ndaye ndamkela uyilo lokutolika olusemgangathweni lwesifundo sesifundo esizinziswe kunxibelelwano lwentlalo. Ufundo lwam lwenzeka kwizikolo zamabanga aphantsi ezithathu eziphantsi kwesekethe yaseKwaggafontein East kunye neSekethe yaseTweefontein South kwisithili saseNkangala, kwiphondo laseMpumalanga eMzantsi Afrika. Iinqununu zezikolo, oosihlalo bamabhunga olawulo ezikolo, abasebenzi ngokubanzi, abaphatha ukutya, ootitshala besigaba esiphakathi, nabafundi besigaba esiphakathi baye bathathwa njengesampula ngenjongo. Idatha yaqokelelwa ngokuqwalaselwa, udliwano-ndlebe olulungelelanisiweyo, udliwano-ndlebe lwamaqela ekugxilwe kuwo kunye nedayari. Le datha yakha isicwangciso esibandakanya intsebenziswano kwizikolo zaseprayimari, esibizwa ngokuba sisicwangciso songenelelo ngoncedo oluzinzileyo kulawulo lwenkunkuma eqinileyo ngentsebenziswano (SISS-WMP). Indlela yokuchwetheza yasetyenziswa ukuhlalutya idatha. Ngokusekwe kwiziphumo, ndingatsho ukuba abanye abathathi-nxaxheba khange babe nokuqonda okwaneleyo kweengqikelelo ezifana nokusingqongileyo, inkunkuma eqinileyo, kunye nolawulo lwenkunkuma eqinileyo. Kucetyiswa ukuba kuququzelelwe iindibano zocweyo ukuze kufundiswe aba bathathi-nxaxheba malunga nokusingqongileyo, inkunkuma eqinileyo kunye nolawulo lwenkunkuma eqinileyo. Ukuze babe nokuqonda, ulwazi, kunye nesakhono njengoko oku kuya kubanceda ukuba baxabise ulawulo lwenkunkuma oluluqilima kunye nemfundo yokusingqongileyo. Izixa ezikhulu zenkunkuma eqinileyo zenziwe ngemisebenzi yemihla ngemihla, ethe yalahlwa ngendlela engafanelekanga. Kucetyiswa ukuba i-SISS-WMP iphunyezwe ixesha elide njengoko ukuphunyezwa bekulithuba elifutshane. Ngaphaya koko, izifundo zinokuqhutywa kwiimeko ezahlukeneyo ezinje ngemfundo ethe kratya kunye namabhendi oqeqesho, iisekethe, izithili, kwiphondo nakumazwe ahlukeneyo kwihlabathi liphela, njengoko iziphumo ezisuka kwezi meko zahlukeneyo zinokuncedisa ekulungiseni kakuhle i-SISS-WMP.