Oxbridge academics are leading a campaign to embed climate change into all school subjects as part of Labour’s curriculum review.
A coalition of 29 Oxford and Cambridge professors have joined dozens of others from top universities in signing a letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
It says climate change teaching should be across the ‘whole curriculum’.
The letter, which risks accusations of wokery, was organised by the charity Global Action Plan and Professor Nicola Walshe, of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education at University College London.
It was signed by more than 150 climate change scientists and other academics from institutions such as Manchester, Bristol and York. Signatures are being added from the wider public.
But Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘Of course children need to learn about climate change, but teaching every subject through this prism risks distorting the curriculum.’
The letter hopes to influence the Government’s flagship curriculum review, led by Professor Becky Francis, which will report back this year.
It said: ‘In the current context of the rapidly changing climate system… recommending the best ways to support our young people for this uncertain future seems to us one of the most critical tasks the review panel has.
A coalition of 29 Oxford and Cambridge professors have joined dozens of others from top universities in signing a letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (Stock photo)
It says climate change teaching should be across the ‘whole curriculum’ (Stock photo)
‘The inadequacies of the current national curriculum make this task doubly essential…
‘Whilst these subjects play a significant role in helping young people to understand the realities and potential impacts of climate… change, it is through the whole curriculum that they can envision more sustainable futures [and] discover a full range of ‘green’ careers.’
There are concerns the curriculum review could lead to ‘dumbing down’ after teaching unions called for ‘decolonised’ courses.
The Department for Education was contacted for comment.
