The passage of the annual International Day of Education a week ago marks the commemoration of a global commitment to work toward quality, equitable education for everyone. As we go into this new year, one thing is clear: education must emphasize sustainability and environmental education to adequately prepare young minds for the climate reality they are facing.
The European Commission has realized this. Earlier this month, they put forward a proposal for incorporating environmental sustainability in the education systems of the EU Member States. This proposal includes calls for providing inclusive and high-quality education related to climate change and identifying environmental sustainability as a priority for education. It also calls for the mobilization of funds and investment into “green infrastructure, training, tools and resources” for education as it transitions into becoming “greener.” This largely reflects the opinion of younger people in Europe, the majority of whom believe environmental protection and fighting climate change ought to be priorities of the European Union going forward.
Clearly, young people understand the urgency of the climate crisis. It’s high time they are equipped with the tools and resources to both understand the environment better and work actively to protect it. Even in the present day, students and teachers in the UK feel that environmental education falls short, especially when it comes to climate change. It’s important to dedicate enough time to discuss climate change in a meaningful way in the classroom, especially given that younger generations will face more and more consequences of climate change as the crisis becomes more pressing.
The European Commission’s proposal is just a first step. We must continue to work toward bettering environmental education. Other ways to do this are to increase hands-on, environment-oriented activities in the classroom (such as nature hikes and biodiversity focused field trips), expose students to climate activism, and introduce ideas of green growth and environmentally friendly technological solutions in the classroom. It’s imperative that we provide young students with the tools and resources to live sustainable lifestyles and help to create positive change in the years to come, especially in the areas of the world most immediately impacted by climate consequences.
As a recent report of the World Economic Forum shows, Bangladesh has recently made substantial progress in many areas of human development including access to education. Time has come for the country to focus on the quality of learning with a diverse curriculum aimed to make students more aware about their immediate environment, the ecosystem of the country and the future of the planet as a whole.
