Curriculum for a Changing Climate

Do you remember 2016? The UK chose to leave the EU, Donald Trump wasn't yet elected as the US president and certainly didn't get a chance to withdraw from the climate negotiations, we were down at least 6 iPhone models, and we did not know what Covid-19 was, how it would chance the lives of many pupils and their teachers and how important green spaces around the country are to all.

8 years is a long time and so much has changed. You would think that the education system would reflect it, but as Teach the Future boldly and accurately points out, "The national curriculum has not been substantively or systematically reviewed for at least eight years, and doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon."

Teach the Future, a youth-led organisation aiming to improve education on the climate emergency and ecological crisis in the UK, doesn't just point the lack of progress in national curriculum adaptations. They take the matter in their own hands and, using substantial research, show what a new subject-based curriculum for England could look like.

If you haven't already, last week saw a lunch of a completed Primary curriculum review, which together with the previously-completed the review of the KS3 and GCSE curriculum in 2023, serves as an excellent guide for change and resource for teachers. You can now view and download all papers and play a part in contribute with your comments and suggestions by visiting: Curriculum for a Changing Climate (teachthefuture.uk).

If you are interested in hearing how why the project is important, you can rewatch the launch of Teach the Future's Curriculum for a Changing Climate for primary education levels: Launch Webinar: Primary Curriculum for a Changing Climate (youtube.com).