School Curricula and Climate Change

Meryl Batchelder (a School Science teacher) notes that, when Michael Gove was in charge of Education in England, he actually attempted to have climate change dropped from the National curriculum (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/19/children-climate-crisis-green-curriculum-sustainability-environment). Batchelder opines that, nowadays, no 15 year old can afford to be ignorant on climate change, if they are to make appropriate lifestyle choices. Today's 15 year olds will be the people most impacted by climate change. She suggests that the English National curriculum lags behind those of both Scotland and Wales. Those both specifically deal with 'green' issues. Batchelder notes that climate change has been taught for decades, in one form or another, in English secondary schools. She believes, however, the topic should now be more clearly designated in the National Curriculum. There is also a good case, she thinks, for ensuring that primary school children understand the basics of climate change. Clearly, this will have to be done in a sensitive way. Simply depressing the next generation would not be helpful.