Impact of Environmental Education on Knowledge and Hygiene Practices Among School Children in the Potohar Region: A Step Towards Sustainable Environmental Change

Abstract

Environmental education for sustainability seeks to equip individuals of all ages with the resources necessary to create a sustainable future. The study sets out to determine the effects of environmental education on the hygienic practices of school children and to assess the existing knowledge among school children regarding the environment. The study was conducted in selected Tehsil Gujar Khan, District Rawalpindi secondary schools. The study's sample size was 70 students aged 12 to 16 (7th to 10th grade). The data was collected through a mixed-method approach using Questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. Overall, the study's participants had a good attitude toward applying their environmental knowledge to sanitary behaviors such as 60% follow hand hygiene,71% routinely clip their nails, 45% brush their teeth twice a day,72% use handkerchief or tissue to wipe running nose, 58℅ cover mouth while coughing and sneezing, 96% takes regular baths. The study also indicated students have sufficient understanding of environmental education, such as knowledge about pollution 60%, 47% about climate change, 59% about deforestation,50% about global warming, and 96% know what the environment means. To achieve a sustainable environment in the future, the research concluded that there is a need to increase student awareness through integrating environmental education into the educational system and to implement successful strategies to divert students' focus to sustainable practices.