Climate Curriculum

Climate change is the biggest issue facing humanity and the importance of educating future generations on sustainability can’t be overstated, but doing this within the restrictions of the national curriculum is a huge challenge for overworked teachers.

Spearheaded by Nick Moss, headteacher of Minchinhampton Primary School; Radical Geographer, Paul Turner; and Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, the Ministry of Eco Education (MEE) was formed to put sustainability at the heart of education in Britain.

The team have developed a new curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2, up to 11 years old, using teaching materials from leading environmental organisations, that uses teaching materials from leading environmental organisations but still works within the current curriculum. It’s being piloted at 15 schools around Britain now and the aim is to reach 10,000 primary schools by 2025. They also have materials to help secondary schools, all designed to help save teachers time by bringing together the best sustainability resources already out there and supporting them to weave these into their lessons.

The MEE approach aims to develop human agency and empower young people. Questions around themes such as energy, food and nature are used in conjunction with the best free content from 160 charities, including the likes of RSPB, WWF and Sea Shepherd – helping children gain an understanding of the world around them in the context of nature, climate and the planet.

Any school can join the Ministry of Eco Education at any time. Teachers can download detailed lesson plans alongside a framework to embed sustainability into every aspect of school life.

www.ministryofeco.org