Addysg Addas i’r Dyfodol – The Education Fit for the Future in Wales report by Professor Calvin Jones in collaboration with the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, is a White Paper for discussion that calls for a match of the skills needed in the future with the education and qualifications system in Wales. The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires public bodies in Wales to look to the future and think about the long-term impact of the decisions they make. A recent Welsh Government review found that over the next decade, digital technologies will result in both job displacement and creation with greater impact on how we experience and approach work. Among its findings, the review calls on the Welsh Government to shift the focus from examinations, testing and certification, in order to emphasise knowledge, learning and skills.
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Changing Scotland – It’s a time of change in Scottish education, with opportunities to examine, discuss and reflect on system-wide reform through the Review of Qualifications and Assessments, Here’s the response from Learning for Sustainability Scotland.
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Will you Take the Pledge? – SOS-UK’s annual SDG Teach In takes place throughout March 2023! Its Teach In campaign calls on all educators to pledge to include the UN Sustainable Development Goals in their work. Last year, there were 772 educators pledge. This year, the modest goal is to get to 800. If you are an educator you can make your SDG pledge here.
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Imagine – A Plymouth University research study says that story writing can help children to rethink their response to environmental challenges and focus more on their role in preventing them. An international team of researchers used a writing activity to explore schoolchildren’s perceptions of marine litter and how they are responding to this increasing problem. The children were encouraged to use their imaginations about common litter items found on the beach and in the marine environment, which included toys, plastic bags, toothbrushes, bottles, and straws. More detail here.
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Hope and Thinking – A new resource from the Liverpool World Centre has a focus on SDG 13, and looks to develop students’ critical thinking skills. It utilises case studies relating to current global conversations on the impact of climate change.
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QAA ESD Redux – Education for Sustainable Development and Academic Quality is a project, led by De Montfort University with partner institutions and Students Organising for Sustainability (UK). The project is a Quality Assurance Agency Collaborative Enhancement Project that will produce guidance and recommendations on how to address ESD through academic quality and student voice processes. There is a survey to complete to answer this question:
How can processes such as programme validation, module review, curriculum renewal, student course representation and student co-design help enable taught university courses to address big societal issues of our time such as climate change, social justice and equality and diversity?
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Let Music be – The DfE has published a national plan for music education. This sets out the government’s vision to enable all children and young people in England to:
- learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together
- have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally
The plan sets out how to achieve this vision by 2030, emphasising the importance of partnerships between education settings, music hubs, music organisations working with young people and the music industry. It builds on the recent model music curriculum and the 2011 national plan for music education. Information for parents and young people on what the national plan for music education means for children and young people is also available. Sadly there is no truth in the rumours that the DfE is also proposing a national plan for environmental education.
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Knowledge Gaps – Flow Associates, who are researchers working for London’s Natural History Museum, want the views of people working or researching in environmental or museum learning, or early years & primary education (anywhere in the world). The survey asks for views about gaps in sector knowledge, and about good practice in learning about the natural world. It closes on the 23rd February. All questions are optional.
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Global Goals in London – Registrations for this year’s London Student Sustainability Conference (LSSC) are now open. This is a partnership between 10 London HE institutions which showcases student academic work and extra-curricular projects which support the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Registration is free and open to students, staff and the general public. This year the Conference will be hosted at King’s College London, in the Great Hall, Strand, London WC2R 2LS and will take place on Monday 20th February 2023. For those unable to join in person, the event will also be streamed online.
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Biomimicing – Natural Entrepreneurs provides a step-by-step guide using biomimicry to help solve the challenges of today and shape the future. This is an Erasmus+ project encouraging students aged 15-18 years to use biomimicry as a research and design tool. It provides an online platform which guides student teams through the Biomimicry Design Process. It offers an opportunity to explore how biomimicry can tackle the sustainability challenges facing Europe today and presents the applications of biomimicry design as desirable and viable solutions. You can join a free online session in March to learn more and access support. Go to Eventbright to register.
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Under 5 Mortality – UNICEF says that the world made remarkable progress in child survival in the past three decades, and millions of children have better survival chances than in 1990: 1 in 26 children died before reaching age five in 2021, compared to 1 in 11 in 1990. Moreover, progress in reducing child mortality rates has been accelerated in the 2000s period compared with the 1990s, with the annual rate of reduction in the global under-five mortality rate increasing from 1.8 per cent in 1990s to 2.7 per cent for 2010-2021.
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Farmers and Nature – The government’s Environment plan for England asks farmers to restore nature – but changes are likely to be superficial says Elise Wach, at the Institute of Development Studies. Tinkering around the margins of English farms won’t benefit biodiversity, research suggests.
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Rare Rain Forest – Aviva has announced a £38m investment to help restore the UK’s lost rainforests. The project is a partnership with The Wildlife Trusts that care for more than 2,300 nature reserves in the UK with local communities at their heart. It aims to re-establish temperate rainforest by planting a combination of native tree species including oak, birch, holly, rowan, alder and willow across an area equivalent to around 2,600 football pitches or around 5,200 acres.
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Heat Pump Experiences – Here’s a link to Neil Kitching’s blog on his experiences with a heat pump. Neil tweets @carbonchoicesuk