Climate education: Trend or necessity?
There is no doubt that climate change is affecting us more than ever. Young people are deeply concerned about the climate crisis, understandably, since they would be living in this world. Many of them are angry that action is not being taken when their future is at stake. Education is an essential factor in this increasingly urgent global fight against climate change. But will it really help to introduce kids to this topic in the classroom?
Why do kids need to know about climate change?
Knowledge regarding all aspects of climate change, from global warming to forest fires, helps young people to fully understand and tackle the consequences. It directly encourages them to change their behaviour and helps them to adapt to what is already a global ecological emergency. The UKSCN / Oxfam Teachers Survey conducted in May 2019 in the UK produced these results:
- 75% of teachers felt they don’t have adequate training to educate students about climate change
- 69% of teachers thought there should be more classes about climate change at school
- 68% of pupils wanted to learn more about the environment and climate change
This shows kids and teachers alike feel the need to learn about climate change, because they can then be directly and indirectly involved in actions to counter further degradation of the Earth’s climactic conditions.
How does climate education work?
Climate education is concerned with incorporating knowledge about global warming, atmospheric pollution, deforestation and land degradation, water pollution and wrong controlling ventures on energy. Apart from increasing awareness, it suggests policy formation to counter this change and move it towards a stable / positive condition.
Climate education can be worked out in many ways. High schools, colleges and universities can offer programmes that prepare students for specific jobs in energy, environment, wildlife, forestry, international affairs, and other related fields. Another way is to start early with topics included in school through stories and chapters in Geography, Economy and Biology. A third option is the community-based programme, involving people of all ages, not trained in climate change science, to get involved via online courses and awareness programmes. Whatever we choose, it’s time to take this as a necessity and not a trend.