Imagine if even half the energy that has been put into thinking, debating and implementing ‘knowledge rich’ approaches and cognitive science informed pedagogy in the past 10 years had been directed towards a curriculum that seriously tackled the climate crisis we are in. What might you be doing differently?
Or, imagine if those pushing for a change in how we teach chose to make climate justice not just a feature of their work and consideration, but the purpose. How much further might we have come?
Most of us are deeply concerned about our environment. According to Pearson’s Pearson Global Learner Survey in 2021 88% believe there is a more urgent need to educate people about climate issues than when they were in school . If this is true – why have we moved so little?
Of course, there are always demands on the curriculum and recent challenges regarding decolonisation and other justice issues have made some progress. But, as yet – as this Guardian article highlights – there is precious little energy being put into the one that can fairly hold all those justice issues together. A Climate Justice Rich curriculum is not just about preventing the climate catastrophe – it’s about tackling the barriers to a sustainable future that is inclusive of geography, gender, ethnicity, class, etc – and is fundamentally positive about the future.
However, there seems to be an unwritten rule that we can only tinker with one part of the school system at a time. Of course, if the emergency we are in wasn’t so existential, that’d be depressing enough. But, I guess that’s not unlike our societal refusal to look at the problem. In the current BBCRadio4 series, Amol Rajan interviewed experts about the Behaviour and Communication of our climate crisis, where Megan Kennedy-Woodward listed the 4Ds that seem to be a barrier to clear thinking.
Distance – “Yes, it’s a big problem – but far away and not yet for me; just the polar bears”
Denialism – “Nope, it’s not happening, and evidence won’t make me change my mind”
Dissonance – “What I know about Climate Justice doesn’t fit with how I live and what I see”
Defeatism – “It’s too late, we messed it up, so there’s no point making my life harder”
These headings work to describe the inertia in education, as well as wider society and us as individuals in tackling the scale of the challenge – but we have other familiar obstacles to compound and confound efforts to make change:
- Lack of resources: Schools do not have the resources, such as funding for new resources or trained teachers, to develop and implement a decarbonized curriculum. This is especially true in the current economic climate.
- Resistance from stakeholders: Some stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, or school governance boards, may resist the implementation of a decarbonized curriculum. They may argue that it is not the role of schools to address political or controversial issues, or that the curriculum should focus on more traditional subjects. The reasons for this resistance might be one or all of the 4Ds listed above
- Limited time: Schools have a limited amount of time to cover all of the required subjects, and adding new topics to the curriculum is challenging. There may be concerns about sacrificing the time and resources devoted to other subjects in order to incorporate climate education.
- Lack of common standards: There is a lack of clear guidelines, curriculum leadership or standards for what should be included in a Decarbonized Curriculum focussed on Climate Justice, which can make it difficult for schools to know where to start. There is no agreement or progress from those involved in qualifications and assessments – which is a major disincentive to changing what is taught.
- Political pressure: Schools have faced political pressure to avoid certain topics or viewpoints related to climate change. This makes it difficult for them to develop and implement change, without risking approbation from Ofsted .
Given the multiple pressures on school/MAT/curriculum leaders I can imagine the multiple reasons why you might not want to make fundamental changes to the working conditions of your staff and the learning in your community – even before you consider the energy involved in pushing past the 4Ds.
And, that pressure to change and do better shouldn’t sit on those with the responsibility to care for children alone. It sits with all of us – and requires genuine leadership from our political class (which is sadly lacking in systems infected by Populism, Polarisation and Post-truth). But our politicians need to see the change in education for Climate Justice, to see the impact, to get behind it.
The one area I have some capability and expertise in is in enabling the production of content and services for schools that promote Climate Justice – so I am focusing my energy there.
These posts are intended to provoke a discussion: because the more we talk openly and honestly about not only how huge the issues are AND how exciting and essential the opportunities are in making a change – the quicker we can not only imagine a more sustainable world, but the quicker we’ll get there.
If you have capacity, expertise and interest in a Curriculum for Climate Justice – or you know organisations or people I could connect with who do – please let me know in the comments below (so others can find the same information!) .
Let’s create the educational change for climate justice we want to see, NOW.