Sustainability and climate education ‘vital for green jobs’
As the new UK government begins its stated mission to ‘rebuild Britain’, I am part of a group of education and climate experts who is calling for sustainability and climate education to be at the heart of its priorities.
In its election manifesto, the Labour party committed to making Britain a clean energy superpower and to a new, modern educational curriculum.
Launched at the Royal Meteorological Society Annual Weather and Climate Conference today (Monday 8 July) in Reading, the National Climate Education Action Plan Curriculum Mapping report shows how these two missions could be linked. The report highlights the many opportunities to bring quality climate and sustainability education into the curriculum.
Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez, of the University of Reading launched the report today together with Professor Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society. He said: “Including climate and sustainability within the curriculum review will be vital to ensuring that the new government delivers long-lasting reform that can prepare young people for the good green jobs of the future.”
Rich curriculum
The report highlights different options to improve climate education from the first week of the new government, and the pros and cons of each of these approaches.
There are opportunities for an expansion of current climate education by adjusting teaching within the current curriculum, or by making small but meaningful changes to current curriculum specifications.
It includes detailed mapping showing where and how climate can fit into the curriculum. These changes could be implemented quickly while a more comprehensive review takes place. The report also highlights how greater inclusion of climate education fits with the desire of the new government to make the curriculum rich, broad and inclusive.
In the foreword to the report, Lisa Hoerning, a recent school leaver, makes clear the desire amongst young people for the forthcoming curriculum review to incorporate climate and sustainability education as a theme that crosses subjects and educational levels.
She said: “The current curriculum studied by young people across England doesn’t educate us on the climate and ecological emergency, and, depending on your subject preferences, you can nearly skip the relevant content entirely.”
She also expressed her hope that that in the near future climate education, as demonstrated in the report, would be integrated across all subjects.
For both new and regular followers to my work, there is little doubt that I am passionate about climate education and literacy for both our young people and the staff who work with them. Therefore, I fully endorse this report through all aspects of my work: as a freelance climate educator, and through my roles with the UEA’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, NASBTT and Geographical Association.
The report was produced by a group of authors from fourteen educational organisations led by Professor Sylvia Knight, of the Royal Meteorological Society, and science education expert Dr Sean McQuaid and is endorsed by a broad coalition of 60 organisations from schools, colleges, universities, climate charities and educational publishers.
The full National Climate Education Action Plan Curriculum Mapping report was published online today and can be accessed here.
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