According to a new plan created by the Ministry of Education, children are looking forward to plant-based school lunches, climate change, and “sustainability” incorporated into the disciplines of all subjects.
In a speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow on November 5, Secretary of Education Nadhim Zahawi made a fundamental new change in British education.
Climate change is already part of the curriculum and has been taught in science, citizenship and geography since Key Stage 3 (beginning of secondary school). But in the new plan, environmentalism will be central to learning and teachers will need to teach all subjects through the lens of sustainable development. In addition, by 2023, a model science curriculum will provide climate change education to teach children about its impact on nature and the world around it.
“We want to provide a better, safer and more environmentally friendly world for the next generation of young people. Education is one of our key weapons in the fight against climate change. That’s one, “said Zahawi.
“By enabling teachers at all schools to provide world-leading climate change education, we not only raise awareness and understanding of the problem, but also equip young people with the skills and knowledge to build a sustainable future. You can, “he added.
“Sustainability and Climate Change: Strategy for Education and Service Systems Strategy for Children” (pdf), The ministry wrote that the scientific facts and evidence behind climate change “do not constitute teaching on political issues.” He added that the school does not have to present “misinformation or unfounded claims to balance.”
The Ministry of Education has been training since December 2021 by all further teachers trained through apprenticeship by modeling sustainable practices and promoting the principles of sustainable development in relation to the subject’s discipline. He said sustainability needs to be integrated into education.
Other goals include reviewing school lunch standards to assess the impact of food emissions on the environment and providing “more plant-based, meat-free options.”
Children and adolescents are encouraged to take small steps, such as installing bird feeders. Other new measures include an “energy pod” to “decarbonize the heat of existing buildings,” Net Zero School, a new national awards ceremony, and students advancing different levels of awards (bronze, silver). Includes initiatives that can be done. , And Gold-in the same way as the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Examples of the latter include “helping young children provide an experience for exploring nature and local forests.”
The new plan encourages nurseries, schools, universities and universities to think of all UK playgrounds (more than twice as large as Birmingham) as one “park” called the Virtual National Educational Natural Park. Children upload their progress to the park’s digital mapping service. It aims to develop skills such as biodiversity mapping, data collection, and analysis.
This change is in line with the UK Government’s support for the United Kingdom’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global agreement to address issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation and social justice. Thing.
Zahawi is endorsed by Italy’s Minister of Education Patrizio Bianchi, saying, “If other countries do the same with us, the United Kingdom and other G20 countries, we are more likely to win this battle.” Stated. After reporting the story, the BBC’s children’s news program, Newsround, completed a poll showing that 78% of viewers want schools to focus more on climate education.
But Ben Pile, skeptical of environmental protection, Weathering blogHe told The Epoch Times that he believed that the strategy was not to provide education that “gives children independent learning abilities” but to “shape citizens”.
Pile criticized some of the UK government’s future net-zero policies. These include a ban on the sale of gas boilers until 2025 and a ban on the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles from 2030. By 2030 and 2049, beef and lambs will also be “phasically abolished,” according to a report published by Oxford University and Imperial College London.
“What do math students do with the sustainability agenda in the curriculum?” Said Pile, a contributor to the political magazine Spiked. “It’s an idealistic free pass. You can say anything for the planet, you can say that any intervention is needed. Examine that claim and make it an idealistic tyranny of the past. Compared to the political debate, that’s exactly what they said in communism for the benefit of the people. “
“People can always find seemingly environmental reasons for their policies, but for debate, not for moral absolutism,” he added.
According to the government, the draft report will be used for involvement and will be considered from November 2021 to March 2022. The final strategy will be announced in April 2022.
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