Ki te ako āhuarangi tōnui ki Aotearoa | Towards flourishing climate education in Aotearoa NZ
Case studies and perspectives from the literature
Rachel Bolstad and Keita Durie, NZCER
Climate change presents escalating risks to young people and communities, including risks to the achievement of educational outcomes.
In the years NZCER has been researching climate-responsive education, we have noted a steady increase in activity, interest, and concern about climate change amongst educational policymakers, school leaders, and educators in Aotearoa New Zealand. We have also noted scattered references to education, schools, and young people in New Zealand climate action policy. However, global and national concerns about the environment and sustainability—and, more recently, climate change— have not necessarily led to a clarity and consistency of purpose, policy direction, and practices to support education’s role and contribution in the context of a climate-changing world.
This report draws on literature from te ao Māori and Western/global perspectives, and from six case studies, to explore the question, “What does it look like when climate education is flourishing?”.
The literature indicates that for climate education to flourish across the system, policy supports would need to include interdisciplinary curriculum guidance, teaching resources, teacher professional development, and clarity of long-term vision about the role of education in a world impacted by anthropogenic climate change.
Case studies include:
- Te Ahi Kaa, Taita College
- Climate justice in Year 10 social studies
- Climate Action Campus, Ōtautahi
- Climate course, Ao Tawhiti
- Students from Next Generation Conversation, Ōtautahi
- Sustainability and climate learning at Hutt Valley High School
Click on the button to visit the NZCER website where you can download the PDF of the report and find links to other climate education research and resources.
