Climate change education should become fully embedded in curriculum, unions say
Ahead of crucial Cop26 talks in Glasgow, four unions – representing school, college and university staff – have warned that young people have the most to lose from the lack of direction on climate change.
A joint letter to new Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi calls for a review of the curriculum to ensure everyone is mobilised for a “sustainable future”.
The unions are calling for important measures to be embedded in the education system as they say there is concern the government has yet to grasp the gravity of the situation.
The COP27 climate conference - what you need to know
What is COP27? When and where will it be?
What is COP27? When and where will it be?
Each year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meets at what is called the Conference of the Parties (abbreviated as COP) to discuss the world's progress on climate change and how to tackle it.
COP27 is the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties summit which will be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from November 6-18.
Who is going?
Who is going?
Leaders of the 197 countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty that came into force in 1994 - are invited to the summit.
These are some of the world leaders that will be attending COP27:
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is attending the conference, after initially saying he wouldn't as he was too busy focusing on the economy within his first weeks in office.
US President Joe Biden and his experienced climate envoy, John Kerry, will appear at the talks.
France President Emmanuel Macron will also be among the heads of state from around the world staying in Egypt.
King Charles III will not be attending COP27, despite being a staunch advocate for the environment. The decision was made jointly by Buckingham Palace and former prime minister Liz Truss.
Elsewhere, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will not attend the talks just as they decided to do for COP26.
What is it hoping to achieve?
What is it hoping to achieve?
1. Ensure full implementation of the Paris Agreement and putting negotiations into concrete actions - included within this is the target of limiting global warming to well below 2C.
2. Cementing progress on the critical workstreams of mitigation, adaptation, finance and loss and damage, while stepping up finance notably to tackle the impacts of climate change.
3. Enhancing the delivery of the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the UN Climate Change process.
Ministers should introduce a comprehensive plan to “decarbonise the entire school estate by 2030” as part of an overdue refurbishment and repair programme, they say.
The letter also calls for a “comprehensive review of the entire curriculum” and a “detailed policy” on green travel for students, staff, and parents.
It warns these measures should be announced before or during the UN climate summit or otherwise any other initiative will “be seen as window dressing for a lack of strategic urgency”.
Leaders of the National Education Union (NEU), the NASUWT teaching union, the University and College Union (UCU) and Unison have all signed the letter.
The letter also suggests that teacher training standards could be amended to include learning about the climate emergency and a new professional qualification for teachers on climate could be created to address concerns.
It adds the Education Act could be amended to impose a new duty on schools to ensure they designate a member of staff as a climate co-ordinator.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The UK government needs to step up to ensure teachers have the resources and tools to provide access to curriculum entitlements that give all children and young people the opportunity to develop their understanding of environmental issues and to be responsible citizens.
“We also need to see much more action from the government to deliver substantial improvements to the energy efficiency of existing school buildings which have suffered from significant under-investment over decades”.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “It is the next generation that will bear the brunt of any inaction on climate change. We all need to play a part in ensuring a sustainable future for our young people.
“Schools and colleges can play their part and the UK government needs to ensure that quality climate change education is embedded across the curriculum, as well as focusing on decarbonising the education estate by 2031”.
A government spokesperson said: “Climate change is embedded in multiple subjects in the national curriculum throughout primary and secondary school, and we launched a new Environmental Science A-level to give students the opportunity to study the subject further.
“We are also investing millions in long-term projects to build greener and more energy-efficient schools, and in initiatives to encourage more people to walk and cycle to school”.