“Climate change and sustainability topics must be made more explicit throughout the curriculum and within individual subjects and qualifications”.
This stand-out call to action features in Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examination Board’s latest review, Striking the Balance. Chaired by former Secretary of State for Education Charles Clark, the review highlights the critical need to update the school curriculum for 11-16 year-olds, making several recommendations relating to the role and use of assessment and examinations across secondary education.
Why does this matter? Well, wildlife is under threat. The United Kingdom is amidst a dual climate and nature crisis, the effects of which will be most acutely felt by future generations.
The review itself states that “climate change is the biggest existential threat to the planet we face and, as such, we would expect to see a curriculum that supports young people in understanding the science behind it, the political, economic and social dilemmas involved, and the role they can play as citizens and as the employees and academics of the future”.
The gaps in our children's and our educator's understanding of the root causes and consequences of nature loss and climate change are well documented. 70% of UK teachers feel they lack the adequate training - either during initial training or since - to educate students on climate change and its local and global implications (see research from Teach the Future here). A study of 3,000 students, conducted by Save The Children, reported climate anxiety in 70% of children, with 75% calling on their government to take stronger action for nature and climate on their behalf (read more here).
Preparing children to mitigate and adapt to the impacts on their changing world must be a fundamental responsibility of our education system. This is in addition to harnessing the immense potential of a future workforce that will prove critical for a new, greener economy, as highlighted in a recent Wildlife and Countryside Link policy briefing (download here).
There is sound evidence within the examination board's review that climate change education can support mental health and well-being, and not least, the awareness of the benefits of being in nature. This, the review argues, helps to shift behaviour and attitudes towards more sustainable lifestyles, which in turn creates a ripple effect to the families and communities around those in education. It also builds a greater awareness of the potential gains for people, groups and countries that are most disproportionately affected by climate change.
There are many recommendations that can bring about better-quality climate and nature education – see page 104 of the review – but the ones that stood out for me were the need to harness the experience and expertise of a much wider set of organisations; to make time to listen to young people and embrace their passion; and to relate the topic and teaching of nature and climate to careers and progression routes where the newly found skills and knowledge can be applied to real world solutions.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, all teachers and educators need training and support to develop their confidence and expertise. “A look at comparable professions indicates much deeper use of CPD to enable professionals to handle rapid change both in their profession and around them. A programme of comprehensive teacher CPD is of central importance.”
The Wildlife Trusts and their partners strongly support this timely publication, especially with the UK Government launching their own curriculum review, led by Professor Becky Francis in July (see more here). If you do one thing, please contact the Francis review and provide them with your experiences of the benefits of broadening the curriculum and any evidence to back this up. When? Now
As the OCR review says: “Above all, it is essential that the government should provide leadership and a sense of urgency in supporting the communities of interested parties in implementing climate change education”.