Toward a sustainable future in Aceh primary schools: Embracing environmental education - insights from stakeholders

This study examines the integration of environmental education (EE) in Aceh, Indonesia's primary schools, highlighting challenges and stakeholder perspectives in a post-tsunami context. With Aceh's rich ecological diversity, the implementation of EE faces hurdles like limited resources, curriculum overcrowding, and insufficient teacher training. Despite these challenges, stakeholders, including teachers, principals, curriculum experts, and parents, show a strong interest in EE. However, they are hindered by practical issues. The research aims to understand these barriers and explore strategies for effectively integrating EE into school curricula and daily activities. It emphasizes the importance of a collaborative, context-sensitive approach, acknowledging the need for better support structures, resource allocation, and teacher training to achieve EE goals and cultivate environmentally aware students. Employing qualitative methods with an interpretive ontology, the study focuses on the perspectives of Aceh's education stakeholders. The findings underscore a mix of enthusiasm and challenges, stressing the importance of making EE a core component of education. The research advocates for enhanced collaboration among schools, government, and the community, and for innovative approaches to support EE. It highlights the significance of community involvement and flexible policies for successful EE implementation in Aceh's primary schools. The study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive efforts to address these issues and integrate EE effectively in the education system.