Policy

As we wind down for a much-needed holiday break, I've been reflecting on how to keep planetary wellbeing front of mind during this period of rest and restoration.

By Rachel Bolstad

Yes, education was on the agenda, and there were some positive developments.

As the dust settles on COP26, many climate activists will be feeling disappointed about yet another agreement that does not put the world on track to limit global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

By Rachel Bolstad

In February, I blogged about how the role of education was discussed in the Climate Change Commission’s draft advice to the Government.  (See: What does the Climate Change Commission’s report say about education?)

By Rachel Bolstad

This week the Climate Change Commission released a draft report to advise the Government about what New Zealand needs to do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and fulfil our international commitments to combatting climate change. 

I did a quick text search of “education” and other related terms to see what specific messages the Commission might have for our sector. Here’s what I found:

Are our school students learning what they need to know and be able to do? Are they being taught in ways that motivate them to learn and do the hard yards when things are challenging?  What support do teachers and school leaders need so that we can answer yes to these questions? To me, these were the underlying questions behind the government’s set of educational reviews that were completed last year: The Tomorrow’s Schools Independent Taskforce; the Curriculum, Progress and Achievement Group; and the NCEA review.