TY - CHAP
T1 - The Grounding for a Fossil Fuel Free World:
T2 - Integrating Climate Change Education into Secondary Schools
AU - Lovett, Gina
AU - Lambert, Claire
AU - Chu, Eric
AU - Gupta, Joyeeta
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognises the importance of a shared baseline of awareness and knowledge to mobilise commitment to address climate change. Schools can provide the first opportunity for this, with life-long impact in behaviour. While Western countries are regarded as relatively “advanced” in these activities, and have higher levels of awareness, there is little literature on how states engage with climate change education and sparse empirical data on the specifics of different political and institutional arrangements that shape the implementation of such education. Against this background, this chapter addresses the question: How is climate change learning being integrated into secondary school education? It examines the policy underpinnings for climate change education and related scholarly debates. It compares England, Netherlands, France and Belgium, showing how different approaches and implementation processes favour particular competences, knowledge, values or behaviour. It concludes that a centralised policy approach is effective in widespread implementation, while a decentralised policy approach relies on the commitment of teachers. Partisan and ideological battles at the national level influence curriculum development, and political struggles influence how climate science is taught. A rounded climate change education demands political consciousness, yet is incompatible with mainstream education that accepts the status quo. Without consistent advocacy, support and direction by policymakers, climate education may stagnate, lack purpose and add to public confusion.
AB - The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognises the importance of a shared baseline of awareness and knowledge to mobilise commitment to address climate change. Schools can provide the first opportunity for this, with life-long impact in behaviour. While Western countries are regarded as relatively “advanced” in these activities, and have higher levels of awareness, there is little literature on how states engage with climate change education and sparse empirical data on the specifics of different political and institutional arrangements that shape the implementation of such education. Against this background, this chapter addresses the question: How is climate change learning being integrated into secondary school education? It examines the policy underpinnings for climate change education and related scholarly debates. It compares England, Netherlands, France and Belgium, showing how different approaches and implementation processes favour particular competences, knowledge, values or behaviour. It concludes that a centralised policy approach is effective in widespread implementation, while a decentralised policy approach relies on the commitment of teachers. Partisan and ideological battles at the national level influence curriculum development, and political struggles influence how climate science is taught. A rounded climate change education demands political consciousness, yet is incompatible with mainstream education that accepts the status quo. Without consistent advocacy, support and direction by policymakers, climate education may stagnate, lack purpose and add to public confusion.
KW - climate change
KW - education
KW - education for sustainable development
KW - critical policy
KW - capacity-building
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-70066-3_14
DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-70066-3_14
M3 - Chapter
SN - 978-3-319-70065-6
VL - 2
T3 - Climate Change Management
SP - 205
EP - 221
BT - Handbook of Climate Change Communication: Vol 2
A2 - Filho, Walter Leal
A2 - Manolas, Evangelos
A2 - Azul, Anabela Marisa
A2 - Azeiteiro, Ulisses M.
A2 - McGhie, Henry
PB - Springer
CY - Cham
ER -