AQW 22735/17-22
Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim
Tabled Date: 17/09/2021
Answered On Date: 27/09/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Education ahead of COP26, what steps she is taking to engage with school children on the climate crisis.
Answer:
Education plays a crucial role in informing our young people about climate change and its impact. Sustainable development is already part of the Northern Ireland curriculum via the World Around Us area of learning at primary level and through the Environment and Society area of learning at post-primary level. Through this, pupils: investigate environmental and climate change; explore how to exercise environmental stewardship; and are helped to develop an understanding of the need for environmental change to be sustainable Pupils gain an understanding of the interdependence of society, the economy and the environment, develop respect for the needs of present and future generations and the importance of securing a sustainable environment. Pupils also have the opportunity to pursue qualifications at Key Stage 4 and post-16 that explicitly cover issues relevant to climate change. The curriculum is designed to be adaptable and dynamic. It devolves greater autonomy to schools and trusts the professionalism of teachers. The aim is to lift the burden of prescription and allow space for innovative approaches to learning. The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment supports this by developing curricular resources for schools and teachers, including resources that cover issues like climate change. My recent visit to a primary school in Antrim highlighted the wonderful work of the children and school staff through the Eco-Schools Programme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The primary aim of the Eco-Schools programme is to educate and empower young people to make positive decisions and become change makers for an environmentally sustainable world. Eco-schools is the world’s largest environmental education programme, operating in 68 countries and involving approximately 20 million pupils. Every NI school is registered for the Eco-Schools programme, a world first. NI was also the first country in the world to award a Green Flag. Of course, there is always more that can be done and my Department will continue to support the Executive to develop its climate change strategy.
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