Push for climate change in school curriculum
Food & Trees for Africa education associate Bharathi Tugh chats to Jane Dutton on the importance of climate literacy at high school level.
Youth are growing up in an increasingly uncertain future and climate change education is more crucial than ever before.
That’s the mission of Foods & Trees For Africa and the African Climate Reality Project, who have created a compelling programme to address climate literacy at high school level.
The organisations believe the climate crisis has created a sense of ‘climate anxiety’ amongst youth.
The project aims to create active citizens who lead the fight against crime change.
Food & Trees for Africa education associate Bharathi Tugh chats to Jane Dutton on the importance of the curriculum.
We want to train a new generation of SA youth who can become our risk and response experts. We hope with the knowledge they gain through our training, it will enable the country to transition to renewables, become climate resilient and aspire to a carbon neutral future.
Bharathi Tugh, Food & Trees for Africa education associate
Tugh said the process has been an arduous one because the content is often complex.
Their role is to equip the learners with the tools to make informed decisions.
The content is relatable to the children and gives them an opportunity to respond to what’s happening from an empowered perspective. We want to build capacity and to understand that climate change is not an environmental issue.
Bharathi Tugh, Food & Trees for Africa education associate
Tugh said the content will enhance the school curriculum as it’s cross curricular and multi-disciplinary.
As much as the content is related to Life Orientation, it can be used in an English lesson, Maths or Geography. It’s an opportunity to create entreprenurial spaces as the country will look for individuals who can respond through innovation and technology. Learners will then learn to mitigate against climate change.
Bharathi Tugh, Food & Trees for Africa education associate