Presentation Schedule
Educating in the Presence of Hazard: Chemical Waste, Silence, and Social Injustice in Schools (105630)
Session Chair: Josafa da Cunha
Thursday, 18 June 2026 14:30
Session: Session 3
Room: Room 112 (1F)
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
The safe management and disposal of chemical waste remain largely overlooked challenges within school science laboratories, particularly in under-resourced education systems. In South Africa, accumulated and expired laboratory chemicals are increasingly present in secondary school laboratories, posing potential risks to learners, teachers, and surrounding communities. Framed within environmental justice and Education for Sustainable Development perspectives, this study examines how chemical waste is understood, managed, and normalised within selected South African schools. Adopting a qualitative multiple-case study design, data were generated through semi-structured interviews with Physical Sciences teachers and school managers, laboratory observations, and document analysis of school safety policies and curriculum guidelines. The findings reveal widespread accumulation of chemical waste, limited awareness of appropriate disposal procedures, and an absence of institutional support and clear disposal pathways. These conditions are exacerbated by resource constraints, competing curricular demands, and weak policy enactment at school level. The study argues that chemical waste in school laboratories constitutes a silent sustainability and social justice crisis, disproportionately affecting learners and educators in historically marginalised communities. The paper concludes by highlighting implications for science education policy, teacher professional development, and systemic accountability, and calls for coordinated, ethically grounded interventions to align school science practices with principles of sustainability, safety, and social responsibility.
Authors:
Remeredzayi Gudyanga, University of the Free State, South Africa
Loyiso Jita, The University of the Free State, South Africa
About the Presenter(s)
Dr Remeredzayi Gudyanga is lecturer in Curriculum Studies and Higher Education at the University of the Free State.
Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/remeredzayi-reme-gudyanga-phd-6b067913a/
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