Here’s a draft letter that Teach the Future is encouraging people to amend and send to their MPs ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday. This is nicely timed ahead of the COP.
Dear xxxx,
I hope this letter finds you well.
On Wednesday 27th October 9.30am-11am, there will be a Westminster Hall Debate tabled by Nadia Whittome MP on the topic of teaching climate change in schools, in partnership with students from the Teach the Future campaign. I am writing to ask you to please kindly attend this debate as my MP.
Teach the Future is a campaign of 13-19 year olds from all four nations of the UK, aiming to reorientate the education system around the climate emergency and sustainability.
With Teach the Future’s research showing that just 4% of students feel they know enough about climate change and a staggering 70% of teachers stating that they received no training on any aspect of climate change, this debate could not be more crucial. As the effects of the climate crisis grow in severity every day, it is essential that the workforce of tomorrow are suitably equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to build a resilient, green economy and workforce that can deal with the now inevitable impacts of the climate crisis.
The climate crisis is going to affect everyone, whether they are a builder or a banker, a farmer, or a pharmacist, which means that climate education must be intertwined into every subject, in a way that is accessible to everyone.
Climate education needs to be extended to include knowledge about how to stop and abate the climate emergency and ecological crisis, deliver climate justice, and provide support for students to deal with eco and climate anxiety, something which climate education will also mitigate as students will be empowered with the information to tackle the issue.
A transformative education system could revolutionise our economy. Whether that’s introducing climate apprenticeships in the renewable energy sector, expanding vocational courses so that they cover sustainability, or changing academic content to give us a realistic idea of our world and subjects in their climate impacted contexts. By doing so, we can create thousands of green jobs and set a precedent for the rest of the world, while also saving costs to do with tackling climate breakdown further down the line – meaning that it will benefit people, planet and the economy.
This debate will take place just days before the COP26 conference, and as the host nation we need to be leading the fight against the climate crisis – what better way to do so than by not only setting an example to other nations, but to our future generations?
This debate aims to start a conversation about the state of climate education in the UK, and to push for an education system that provides young people with the knowledge, skills and resources needed for them to thrive in the future. I really hope you take part in this vital debate, and help us strive towards a comprehensive education system for all.
I really do hope that as my MP you will participate in this debate – your involvement will be invaluable, and I would really appreciate you representing my concerns in Westminster.
Yours,
……………………..
If you wish to send a letter, clicking here makes it easy.