Communities across the world are experiencing the effects of climate change with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reporting that we have less than eight years to change our habits before it is too late to save the planet. Nevertheless, according to a report co-authored by the North American Association for Environmental Action, climate change topics are not adequately included in the state’s learning standards. Under existing standards, Massachusetts public school students are required to learn about topics such as the weather and ecosystems but not how to connect that information to the climate crisis.
Moreover, a recent study by WBUR of publicly available documents from state education departments and boards of education spanning the U.S. analyzed and ranked state requirements concerning climate change. According to the study, Massachusetts was ranked in the lowest tier, with a “very low” incorporation of climate change-related content. Notably, at a fifth grade standard on natural resources and a third grade standard on weather, the state expressly maintains that an understanding of climate change is not expected.
Today’s public school children belong to a generation that will live with the worst effects of climate change, including sea level rise, air pollution, and natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. Schools should educate us about our future to ensure that we are informed about the climate crisis and motivated to work for change. Providing training on climate empowerment can provide hope in the face of this crisis.
Good practices exist. For example, Paul Revere Elementary in Revere, Massachusetts provides dedicated lessons led
by environmental groups such as Change is Simple, a nonprofit organization that teaches lessons on a wide variety of topics regarding climate change solutions from hydroponics to sustainability. However, not all public schools can afford to bring in outside resources, and climate education should be accessible to all students regardless of the wealth of their districts. Hence, it is imperative to include climate change in the Massachusetts state learning standards to ensure universal inclusion of climate change education.
Teachers across Massachusetts have called for state level legislation that would provide more climate resources, offer professional development for educators, and require all students attending public school to learn about climate change and environmental justice. This effort was supported by teenagers from the state. As reported by the Worcester Business Journal, around 50 teenagers from the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition and the youth-led Our Climate group lobbied the state legislature to pass climate-related legislation, including the teaching of climate change education. Yet, the four bills that teachers and students advocated for failed this past session to get passed by the Massachusetts legislature.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Climate change is a grave and mounting threat to our wellbeing and a healthy planet. Our actions today will shape how people adapt and nature responds to increasing climate risks.” Accordingly, immediate action is needed to ensure that we educate the next generation about climate change.
This article also appears in our October 2023 print edition.
