Canada: Educating in and for climate emergency

Climate change is the most urgent crisis facing our planet today. Youth have repeatedly called for action on tackling this crisis, including the implementation of climate change curricula in schools.

Canadian students are among those demanding improvement to the sparse and inconsistent delivery of climate change education. A study published in 2019 found that only about half of Canada’s ministries of education and about 60 per cent of school divisions in the country had sustainabilityspecific policy, with this understood to include governance, curriculum, facilities, research, and community outreach.

When climate change topics are taught, key concepts are often missing such as the scientific consensus that humans are causing climate change, or a focus on impacts or solutions.

A recent countrywide survey of 4,035 respondents across the country highlighted the consequences of inadequate climate change education in schools. One-third of Canadians failed a 10-question knowledge quiz. Only around half knew greenhouse gases were the main cause of climate change.

Few responded correctly that the average temperature has already increased by more than one degree Celsius. Despite their gaps in knowledge, the majority of survey respondents agreed that we are experiencing a climate emergency and that climate change education should be a high priority.

Ten percent of survey respondents were educators (406 people), and among this group, half said a lack of time is a barrier when attempting to include climate change education within the classroom. In fact, respected international organizations have noted that implementing climate change education in schools cannot continue to fall on the shoulders of overburdened teachers.

The traditional way of teaching doesn’t work for complex topics like climate change. Teachers need to shift towards student-directed inquiry and active, real-world learning. It’s not enough to simply quote scientific facts, as a focus on “doom and gloom” can intensify eco-anxiety. Best practices for climate change education include the opportunity to take personal and collective action.

(Karen S. Acton. http://theconversation.com, 07.03.2023. Adaptado)