Educational policy; structure and systems
May is a crucial month for Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate change response action, with the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) and a Budget to boost climate action due within weeks.
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.
With so much Covid news coming at us every day, the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) may not be high on many educators’ radar. You might be asking:
What is the ERP?
Why do I need to learn another acronym?
What’s it got to do with education?
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?)
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:
“It ain’t what you do, it’s the way you do it.” Well, it’s both.
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.
