Keep It Cool: climate change education

South Africa is particularly affected by the consequences of climate change. The observed rate of warming, for instance, has been 2°C per century or even higher – more than twice the global rate of temperature increase. Addressing climate change is a matter of national concern and (political) urgency.

The role of education in addressing the challenges of climate change is increasingly recognised. It provides children and young people with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about how to adapt individual lives and ecological, social or economic systems to a changing environment.

But unfortunately, there are two key challenges standing in the way of effectively implementing climate change education in South African schools:

• a fragmentation of climate change knowledge and education at all policy levels;
• a lack of alignment of climate change education with new science and policy directions.

• GreenMatter
• South African government, through:
  • Department of Environmental Affairs
  • Department of Basic Education
  • Department of Higher Education and Training
• Universities involved with Fundisa for Change.

• Key policy actors at local and national level have deepened knowledge about CCE and strengthened capacity to effectively integrate CCE in their policies and guidelines.
• Teachers and professional development providers have access to user-friendly and open resources on CCE.
• Professional development providers develop and organise training sessions on CCE for secondary teachers, and further coach, follow-up and inspire trained teachers in professional learning communities.
• School leaders partake in their own professional learning communities to make sure teachers can optimally take up their role in CCE in a conducive environment.

In parallel, selected higher education institutions conduct research (through process tracing) on teacher professional development and implemented CCE projects and disseminate findings at national and local levels.