Climate Change: Curriculum
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to ensure that teaching on the climate emergency is given greater priority in the revised national curriculum; and whether existing guidance that encourages teaching of the positive impacts of climate change will be reviewed.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.
The Review’s interim report sets out that rapid social, environmental and technological change necessitates that the curriculum keep pace, including a greater focus on sustainability and climate science. The report can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report. New opportunities and challenges, including those relating to climate change, will require particular knowledge and skills to address. The Review is considering whether there is sufficient coverage of these within subjects, and how content can remain relevant and support young people to thrive in a fast-changing world. This could involve further embedding various knowledge and skills across different parts of the curriculum. The Review is looking at all subjects, including subjects that currently contain content on climate science and sustainability, such as science, geography and citizenship.
The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn with the government’s response.
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