Theoretical Model for the Development of Environmental Competence in the Beginning Stage

According to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) as well as the national one (NQF), one of the main priorities in the educational discourse is lifelong learning. This determines the education, from the initialstage, to emphasize not only on mechanically learning not facts, but also mastering specific skills that students can effectively apply not only in the classroom, but also in their daily interaction with the surrounding world. Modern students grow up in a dynamic, rapidly changing, often provocative reality around them. This necessitates the need to consider the problem of the relationship between man and nature, often caused by the antagonism in the relationship „man – society – nature“, as one of the priorities in the initial stage. That is why environmental competence should not only be formed, but also deepened and effectively developed at primary school age. The article proposes a theoretical model for the development of environmental competence at an initial stage. The model aims to support and optimize the educational process, in particular the work of primary teachers (both in terms of their theoretical and practical training).