Getting climate education on to the curriculum: (The Learnit Memo 08/07/22)

Dear global education leader,

“That would be a really cool thing to do, if we are still here,” said one of my kids in a very nonchalant way about some plans we were hatching for future travel. “Why wouldn’t we be?” I asked. “Because the earth is burning up and we probably can’t stop it,” she responded before putting the milk away and heading upstairs.??

To many, the need for climate education seems obvious. Humans need ways to reduce our carbon usage and to manage the fallout of a warmer planet, from more floods and hotter temperatures, to teacher shortages in climate-vulnerable areas. We need our kids to believe in the future — not to think we are going to burn up in a ball of flames before they become adults. Managing eco-anxiety requires giving young people the knowledge and skills to do something (rather than just be angry at us, the old people who messed it all up).?

Lord Jim Knight, my guest on this week’s podcast, explains some creative ways to establish and elevate climate education. One is dictat. Jim introduced a bill in the UK Parliament to mandate sustainable citizenship in the UK curriculum, beautifully tying together the idea of being a productive member of society and protecting the planet — not to mention creatively using the citizenship strand of England’s national curriculum as his way in. Jim borrowed that idea from Lorenzo Fioramonti, a former Italian education minister. He borrowed another from Portugal, which is to change the national funding formula to allocate money for students to do sustainability projects.

Countries like Finland have worked to weave climate education into all subjects, but many other countries seem to rely more on nongovernmental organizations and focusing on environmental education via science. Jim delves into the role of curriculum, leadership, campus initiatives and the role of community, looking at top down, bottom up and sideways in ways to educate and effect change.?

In an environment of near-constant reminders of how much damage we have done to the planet, there is no shortage of ideas for how to try to reverse course: stop eating meat, drive electric cars, don’t fly to that aforementioned vacation.?

But, as Jim points out, most targets and actions require behavior change and education is weirdly overlooked as a very powerful tool in that arsenal. His bill says the goal of sustainable education is to “instil an ethos and ability to care for oneself, others and the natural environment, for present and future generations.” For that we will need science and targets, conventions and diplomacy, but also, effective and engaging education.?

Stay curious

Jenny