The national curriculum should include teaching on “sustainable citizenship” to help combat climate change, ministers have been told.
Existing citizenship education would be amended to include the environmental issues under the proposals rather than creating a new subject, Labour former schools minister Lord Knight of Weymouth explained.
He said good schools already deal with such topics, adding his proposed legislation “set an ambition for all to do the same”.
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Moving his Education (Environment and Sustainable Citizenship) Bill, Lord Knight told peers: “I just think this is a no-brainer. For the DfE [Department for Education], it’s an easy win and I hope you’ll agree.”
Lord Knight said a majority of teachers agree that climate change education should be “compulsory in schools” and believe “individual action on climate and sustainability” should also be taught.
He added that young people also support the inclusion of the topics on the curriculum.
Lord Knight said: “There’s a problem with our curriculum that needs fixing if we’re to fix the planet.”
On what his bill seeks to do, Lord Knight explained: “It adds to the general requirements of a broad and balanced curriculum so that it instils an ethos and ability to care for oneself, others and the natural environment for present and future generations.
“Secondly, it makes provision for sustainable citizenship education for the secondary curriculum and for the secretaries of states to provide the necessary guidance.
“And thirdly, it updates the definition of the citizenship subject in key stages 1 to 4 to include programmes of study that encourage learning to protect and restore the natural environment, for present and future generations, including, but not limited to, climate change considerations.”
Labour former education secretary Lord Blunkett said the proposals offered a chance to “refresh and renew” citizenship education, “so we can ensure that young people know precisely what contribution they can make and how to make that in a very constructive way”.
He added: “I wish this bill well and I can see no reason why we would not approve it.”
But education minister Baroness Berridge ruled out government support for the bill, telling peers: “We do believe the national curriculum does already provide pupils with the knowledge they need to help address climate change both now and in the future.
“The subjects of citizenship, science and geography all include the content on the environment, and pupils learn about what improves and harms it, and how economic choices affect environmental sustainability.”
Lady Berridge added that teachers have been “under incredible pressure” to keep children learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing: “Making any changes to the curriculum would only increase their workload.”
The bill received an unopposed second reading and will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.
