The right climate to learn - Education in a changing climate - Send My Friend to School
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
The right climate to learn Education in a changing climate
© Rajan Zaveri / Save the Children
Foreword As members of Send My Friend to School, we are committed to campaigning for quality education for all children around the world. Education is the cornerstone of sustainable development and with Sustainable Development Goal 4, the global community committed to realising the right to quality education for all by 2030. However, the climate crisis jeopardises this promise. Despite global commitments, education continues to be interrupted for children and young people around the world and data has already shown that the world is off-track in realising education for all. The COVID-19 pandemic is just the latest example of serious interruptions to children and young people’s learning. In April 2020, school gates closed to over 90% of the world’s learners and this has compounded educational inequalities. Building strong and resilient education systems is crucial in the face of interruptions to education – not least climate change. Flooded schools, heat-exhausted pupils, monsoon ravaged classrooms – children’s rights, safety and education are under catastrophic threat around the world. The poorest and most marginalised children, including girls, children with disabilities and migrant and refugee children, are hardest hit by the climate crisis and are at risk of being left behind. The UK Government has made clear that supporting 12 years of quality education is a top priority, especially for girls, who are denied this right every day. We share this ambition, but the COVID-19 emergency within the climate crisis has made clear that we must urgently strengthen education systems and step up funding if these priorities are to be realised. The Government’s proposal to reduce the ODA budget to 0.5% of GNI in the midst of both a global pandemic and climate emergency could be a devastating blow to UK impact on the global stage. Our report comes at a crucial moment. The UK is presiding over the COP26 climate negotiations with the summit now taking place in 2021. Alongside its Presidency of the G7 and in hosting the fourth GPE replenishment, with strong and ambitious UK leadership, this could be a landmark year for placing education on the axis of efforts to face and fight the climate emergency. By preparing this report, we have responded to the clarion call of children and young people around the world who have demanded climate action. We have identified the threats that climate change poses to education and underlined education’s important role in the climate response. Now, we urge the UK Government to seriously consider the report’s recommendations. Ensuring that every child has access to a quality education means preventing and mitigating interruptions to learning. As part of a holistic approach, decisive action is therefore required to stop climate change undermining the right to education and strengthen education’s role in the global climate response. Hollie Warren Chair, Send My Friend to School
A woman pulls water out of a hole in the bed of a dried river in the Somali Region. © Eduardo Soteras Jalil / Save The Children
CONTENTS Recommendations 6 Introduction 8 1. Education is critical for an effective global climate response 10 2. The impacts of climate change on education 16 3. Education systems inadequate to respond to climate change 23 4. A mandate for action 27
6 The right climate to learn
Recommendations
In 2021, the UK Government will host the PROMOTING YOUTH GOVERNANCE AND
international climate summit, the Conference of LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT ALL CLIMATE
the Parties 26 (COP26), where world leaders will PROCESSES
convene to discuss action on tackling the climate • Recognise that children and young people are
emergency. The Prime Minister has made clear effective and important agents of change and
that providing 12 years of quality education is a meaningfully involve them in decisions that
top priority, especially for girls, who are denied this affect them. The UK must create opportunities
right every day. in the lead up to COP26 and at the summit
itself to harness, in a diverse and inclusive
The Send My Friend to School coalition is manner, children and young people’s learning,
calling on the UK Government to seize the consultation and influence on climate change
opportunity it has as host of COP26, in its G7 policy and practice. Young people should be
presidency and as a respected world leader included on the high level delegation for COP
in global education, to take decisive action to and the UK should lead regional consultations,
stop climate change undermining the right coordinated by youth engagement specialists,
to education and strengthen education’s to seek young people’s views on climate
role in the global climate response. processes and policies, especially girls and
children with disabilities, who are often the
The Send My Friend to School coalition is most marginalised.
calling on the UK Government to take the
following measures:
PROVIDING WORLD LEADING INVESTMENT
Provide leadership to stop climate change FOR EDUCATION AND EDUCATION IN
undermining the right to education and EMERGENCIES
champion quality and inclusive participation • The UK should continue to provide high-levels
of children and youth in climate change policy of investment in and political support for
and practice by: education in emergencies, for example through
its strong support for education, including
URGENTLY RAISING AMBITION education in emergencies, to enable the
• The UK must take action by Conference continuous functioning of education systems in
of the Parties 26 (COP26) to put itself times of disasters.
on track to achieve net-zero emissions
• Invest in inclusive and quality education
as quickly as possible, and press other
programming that is gender transformative,
leaders and countries to close the gap
recognising the specific rights and needs
between existing Paris Agreement
of girls.
pledges for 2030, and those needed to
limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C. • The UK should maintain its commitment
to set its ODA budget at 0.7% of GNI,
• Work together across ministries to deliver
as enshrined in law.
an integrated approach to climate change
and education.
7 The right climate to learn
Work with communities, developing country ENSURING QUALITY AND INCLUSIVE
partners and other key stakeholders to CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION (CCE)
strengthen education’s role in the global • The UK should champion the full integration of
climate response by: CCE into curricula and teacher training, as set
out in the Paris Agreement and SDGs, to better
SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE
prepare children to live in a rapidly changing
FACING THE IMPACTS
climate, and ensure that all children, including
The UK must lead the urgent scale up of financial the poorest and most marginalised, know
support for poor and marginalised countries on about and feel empowered to act on their right
the frontline of the climate crisis by: to a healthy environment.
• Maintaining its commitment to spend 50% of
• In the lead up to and at COP26 the UK
climate finance on adaptation and encourage
Government should prioritise an ambitious
other countries to commit to the same.
programme which recognises and responds to
• As host of GPE replenishment in 2021, making the right to education (which is undermined
an early and ambitious commitment to GPE’s by climate change) and the right to
financing campaign. The UK should use its environmental education, as per Article 29
leadership position within the fund to drive of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
policies that both insulate education against the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable
the impacts of climate change and utilise Development Goals.
education in the global climate response.
• The UK Government, and those in the devolved
• Championing a global adaptation finance goal administrations, should support all schools
and leading international efforts to raise new to build climate change education into their
funding for loss and damage. curriculums. This should include supporting
initial teacher training and professional
• Ensuring support is inclusive and accessible, development to address climate change
responding to the needs and rights of the education, and supporting and disseminating
poorest and most marginalised children to resources that promote effective integration of
prevent disruption to education. climate change within the curriculum.
• Taking account the rights and needs of girls
in its climate financing and promoting the MAKING SCHOOLS SAFE
equality perspective at an international level. • The UK should prioritise the ‘climate proofing’
of educational infrastructure, conducting
school infrastructure vulnerability assessments
and supporting the adaptation and
construction of safe schools, with particular
consideration for the most vulnerable children,
to protect them from the impacts of climate
related disasters, as well as slow onset changes.
8 The right climate to learn
Introduction
The right to education is the poverty leaving no money for school people, particularly girls and young
cornerstone of sustainable fees, children cannot go to school. women empowered by education
development. It empowers children and information, might make.5
and their communities to improve The impact of climate change is
their quality of life and provides them particularly acute for the most It is now almost five years since the
with the tools to devise solutions to marginalised children. For example, international community signed The
complex challenges. when disaster strikes and resources Paris Agreement, a historic moment
are scarce, girls are often the first when 197 governments committed
A quality education is also central to be pulled out of school to help to strengthening their efforts to limit
to the 2030 agenda for sustainable alleviate domestic burdens, they global warming to at least 2°C below
development. The 2030 agenda is also sometimes become the victims pre-industrial temperatures, with the
the world’s call to action to promote of childhood marriage in attempts aim of below 1.5°C.6 However, the
prosperity while protecting the planet, to reduce financial strain. Further, world is currently woefully off-track to
and world leaders promised to leave no when natural disasters cause schools achieving the goals of the agreement
one behind in pursuing this goal.1 and transport routes to become – current national pledges would
inaccessible, children with disabilities still result in a terrifying increase of
The Sustainable Development Goals are disproportionately affected. 3°C – which would have catastrophic
(SDGs) that make up the 2030 agenda consequences for all, particularly the
for sustainable development are Education is also woefully neglected most marginalised.
interlinked and indivisible. Education as part of the global climate
therefore has a critical role to play in response. Climate strategies do not Within all of this, the COVID-19
sustainable development that prepares feature education in a meaningful pandemic has laid bare that
communities to face and fight climate way2 and too many education systems education systems around the world
change. This is particularly true for around the world are inadequately are not resilient enough and are
the most marginalised people in the preparing children and young people often unprepared to deal with large
poorest communities, such as girls, for a changing climate. scale disruption: in 2020 COVID-19
children with disabilities and refugee interrupted education for 1.6 billion
and internally displaced children. No Nationally Determined learners.7 It is critical that education
Contribution formally recognises systems are built to withstand the
However, education is threatened the contributions that investment in impacts we know are coming. The
by climate change. Millions of education could make toward their Coronavirus pandemic was a test
children around the world, especially climate strategy.3 68% of Nationally paper for the future – climate change
the poorest and most vulnerable, Determined Contributions reference will be a final exam.
are already bearing the brunt of a education but often in vague terms,
changing climate and this is denying such as ‘awareness raising’, and We therefore need urgent action
them of their right to learn. When not necessarily with young people now. As host of COP26 and a
floods decimate schools, children have as a specific focus or as part of leader in global education, the UK
no place to learn, when monsoons a national curriculum.4 Climate government must take decisive
riddle their communities with diseases, strategies overall concentrate on action to stop climate change
they are too ill to attend classes, and technological fixes, ignoring social undermining the right to education
when drought plunges families into concerns and the contributions that and strengthen education’s role
in the global climate response.
1 UN Sustainable Development Goals. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300, (accessed 21 January 2020).
2 Kwauk, C., Cooke, J., Hara, E., Pegram, J., (2019). “Girls’ education in climate strategies: Opportunities for improved policy and
enhanced action in Nationally Determined Contributions.” https://www.brookings.edu/research/girls-education-in-climate-strategies/
3 Plan International UK (2019). Girls’ Rights in Climate Strategies.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 UNFCCC. The Paris Agreement. https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement, (accessed January 21 2020).
7 Send My Friend to School (2020). “Keep All My Friends Learning.” https://sendmyfriend.org/wp-content/uploads/
2020/09/Keep-All-My-Friends-Learning-Policy-Briefing-1.pdf
9 The right climate to learn Plan International is working across south-east Asia and the Pacific, to help communities adapt to climate change, ensuring children are involved and participate in the design of their projects. Gellie Rose, 14, from the Philippines participated in consultations with Plan International on the action he wants governments to take to stop climate change. © Plan International
10 The right climate to learn
1. Education is critical for an
effective global climate response
Education systems are central to As set out in the Sendai Framework, In times of crisis, education is
an effective climate response. This education is a priority strategy and lifesaving for the most marginalised
is because successful adaptation activity for Disaster Risk Reduction children. In the majority of disasters,
and mitigation requires key skills, (DRR).11 Equipping people with more than half of those who are
knowledge and behaviour that can contextualised knowledge and skills affected or die are children,16 and
only be provided through teaching can save lives, prevent injuries and those with disabilities, girls, refugees
and learning. Education is lifesaving, build community resilience.12 and migrants, and the poorest are
increases adaptive capacity, and disproportionately affected. For
empowers children and young people As UNESCO notes, during children, education is a critical platform
to build a more sustainable future. times of crisis, ‘what for boosting their adaptive capacity,
Education’s role in an effective keeping them healthy, and protecting
climate response is emphasised by the
people know is usually them from the increased risks of
UNFCCC,8 the Paris Climate Change more important than violence and exploitation they face.
Agreement,9 and the Sustainable what they have’.13
Development Goals.10 In Bangladesh, Save the Children
For example, in the Philippines, has been working with vulnerable
There are three key contributions that communities have worked with the communities to implement their
education systems can make in facing Ministry of Education and NGOs Child-Centred Climate Change
and fighting climate change. on climate change education Adaptation programme.17 This
programmes to reduce their programme recognises children as
1. Education is protective, vulnerability to disasters. Following active agents in climate adaptation.
lifesaving and life-sustaining training, when continuous rain posed It incorporates DRR into formal and
during disasters and a hazard to the community, children non-formal curricula, embeds disaster
displacement and their families evacuated their preparedness into teacher training,
villages before landslides destroyed involves parents and children in school
Climate change is increasing the their homes.14 Mainstreaming DRR into vulnerability assessments, and during
severity and frequency of natural the curriculum, for instance through times of crisis ensures that alternative
hazards and disasters – and in times lessons on hazards or disaster response school sites are available to protect
of crisis, education is an essential simulation and drills, as used in this children and provide stability.18
protective measure. With the right example, empowers young people with
teaching and learning, children have life-saving knowledge which they often
the potential to reduce their own go on to share with their peers, families
vulnerability, and the vulnerability and communities.15
of their community, to the negative
effects of climate change.
8 UNFCCC (n.d.). “Education and Training Under Article 6”. https://unfccc.int/topics/education-and-outreach/workstreams/education-and-training
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 UNDRR (n.d.). “Sendai Framework”. https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030 (accessed January 21 2020).
12 UNESCO (2011). Disaster Risk Reduction in Education: an imperative for education policy makers; UNESCO (2007). Disaster Risk Reduction
Begins at School; Aghaei, N., Seyedin, H., & Sanaeinasab, H (2018). “Strategies for disaster risk reduction education: A systematic
review.” Journal of Education and Health Promotion. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6089020/
13 Ibid.
14 Anderson, A (2010). Combating Climate Change Through Quality Education. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/
uploads/2016/06/09_climate_education.pdf
15 Ibid.
16 Save the Children (2011). Reducing Risks Saving Lives.
17 Save the Children (2017). Overview of Our Humanitarian Work in Bangladesh.
18 Ibid.11 The right climate to learn
CASE STUDY
Community centred response in Nepal
In Nepal, climate change is threatening young into the education system. A two-year, school-
people’s access to education. Nepal is highly centred “response to recovery” project has so far
vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as reconstructed six schools that are now more resilient
monsoons, which lead to flooding and landslides. to the effects of climate change, and more work is
These events pose significant risks to Nepali underway in a further 50 schools.
children and their communities and will likely
increase in frequency and intensity in a rapidly VSO has also developed a Climate Change Learning
changing climate. Centre (CCLC) in the municipality of Changunarayan,
near Kathmandu. The project puts young people and
For example, in 2017, approximately 1.7 million communities at the centre of building resilience in
people were affected by monsoon floods – at least their communities.
383 schools were used as shelters and many were
damaged, causing significant disruption to education. Using local knowledge, the project takes place
Damage to educational facilities is estimated to have in schools, in the CCLC, and in the community to
reached $11.5 million US dollars. empower children and their communities to build
long-term strategies to weather the impacts of
VSO, an international NGO working through climate change. While the climate crisis will continue
volunteers to deliver development outcomes, is to affect children’s lives in Nepal, VSO is working to
working with civil society, schools, local officials and build resilience into education systems to minimise
communities in Nepal to better understand climate disruption and prepare communities for the
vulnerability and to build long-term resilience challenges to come.
© VSO International12 The right climate to learn
Such education programmes, which In times of crisis, education is In the long-term, investing in
strengthen community preparedness, critical to ensuring the safety of education to reduce poverty would
are not only lifesaving but also children and communities pre, mid, significantly decrease the vulnerability
cost effective. A World Bank study and post disaster. of communities to climate change
estimates that for every $1 invested $7 as it boosts their self-efficacy,
is saved in recovery efforts.19 Education 2. Education builds children’s, autonomy, and ability to migrate and
is therefore a key component in and the community’s, resilience diversify their income. Investment in
mitigating the financial cost of post- and adaptive capacity in a quality, safe and inclusive education
disaster reconstruction efforts which changing climate contributes to poverty reduction by
can often indirectly divert funding paving the way to better work,
from wider development efforts. The poorest and most marginalised health and livelihoods. Each additional
Increased investment in and political children and young people are most year of education can enable a 10%
support for resilience strengthening, at risk in the climate crisis. Poverty increase in income and, if all children
risk reduction, preparedness and makes them more vulnerable to, and young people left school being
education in emergencies, is vital and less likely to be able to adapt able to read, we would see a 12%
in supporting the continuous to, the impact of climate change.21 reduction in world poverty.24 As a
functioning of the education system Children are more exposed to hazards, route out of poverty, education
to support the right to education. injury and death and are also more empowers communities to better
susceptible to the impacts of slow- navigate the complexities of a
Schools can be both lifesaving and onset climate change and post-disaster changing climate.
life-sustaining if their infrastructure conditions such as malnutrition,
is protected. If schools are factored water and sanitation illnesses, heat Climate action that is gender sensitive
into DRR, they can be reopened stress and infectious diseases.22 and gender responsive can bring about
comparatively quicker post-disaster, Malnutrition disproportionately the systems level change needed.
providing vital continuity and a affects girls because of preferential Research by Brookings Institution
semblance of stability in the lives feeding practices in households. finds investments in girls’ education
of often traumatised children. For to be extremely cost-effective in
instance, after an 8.9 magnitude In 2017, disasters caused by reducing vulnerability to climate
earthquake in Japan (a non-climate environmental hazards affected over change, estimating every additional
related disaster) classes were able to 95 million people and in 2018 over year of girls’ schooling to bring
resume in disaster-proof buildings just 17 million were displaced by natural about significant improvements in a
a week after the event.20 disasters. Food insecurity is rising and country’s level of climate resilience.25
climate change is expected to drive the
Safeguarding education in a changing internal displacement of 140 million
climate ensures safety and important people by 2050.23
continuity for children and their
communities, while also ensuring that
children do not miss out on learning.
19 World Bank (2004). “Natural Disasters: Counting the Cost.” Press release, March 2, 2004. www.worldbank.org
20 G
reubel, L., Ackerman, A. & Winthrop, R. (2012). “Prioritizing Education in the Face of Natural Disasters”. Brookings Institution. https://www.
brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2012/10/31/prioritizing-education-in-the-face-of-natural-disasters/, (accessed 22 January 2020).
21 IPCC (2014). Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. WG II. Summary for Policymakers,
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ar5_wgII_spm_en.pdf
22 H
ales, S et al. “Quantitative risk assessment of the effects of climate change on selected causes of death, 2030s and 2050s”.
WHO. https://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/quantitative-risk-assessment/en/(accessed 22 January 2020).
23 Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (2017). Natural Disasters 2017. Brussels: CRED, p.2.
24 UNESCO (2013). Global Education Monitoring Report: Teaching and Learning – achieving quality education for all.
25 Kwauk, C. & Braga, A. (2017). Three Platforms for Girls’ Education in Climate Strategies. Brookings Institution.13 The right climate to learn
CASE STUDY:
Young people key to response in Guatemala
Guatemala, a small Central American country, Additionally, UNICEF Guatemala worked with Paz
is one of the places most affected by climate Joven on a project to strengthen adolescent and
change. The impacts of climate change pose youth participation in resilience efforts. Paz Joven
significant ‘challenges to long-term development is run by young people with extensive experience
goals.’26 The country is located in the middle of a working with adolescents, youth and the community.
“dry corridor”, worsened by climate change, with Young people were trained on advocacy and climate
children currently bearing the brunt as extreme change, allowing them to engage in interviews
drought has left rising numbers experiencing one of and awareness-raising in their community. Using
the world’s highest rates of child malnutrition.27 In a cascading model, the project reached thousands
the face of vulnerability to climate change, reports of young people directly or indirectly in 2019.
have suggested that some families are desperate to Youth advocates will also be part of advocating on
leave.28 municipal plans for adaptation and mitigation, using
data provided by a Guatemalan company hired by
In this context, UNICEF Guatemala, supported by Paz Joven.30
UNICEF UK, undertook a Climate Landscape Analysis
for Children (CLAC). The CLAC helped to ‘identify This programme has the dual purpose of youth
knowledge and data gaps, strategic partnerships empowerment and climate change advocacy, while
and opportunities for leveraging climate finance for at the same time providing valuable information to
improved results for children.’29 The CLAC will be be included in the CLAC.31 Engaging young people in
used to further develop key recommendations for education-centred resilience and awareness-raising
improving children’s opportunities and livelihoods in efforts is critical to improving the futures for those
the face of climate change. most affected by climate change.
26 USAID. ‘Climate Change Risk Profile Guatemala’, April 2017. https://www.climatelinks.org/sites/default/files/
asset/document/2017_USAID%20ATLAS_Climate%20Change%20Risk%20Profile_Guatemala.pdf
27 Moloney, A (2020), Guatemala’s children bear brunt of prolonged drought and rising heat. Thomas Reuters Foundation. Accessed
21 January, 2020. https://reliefweb.int/report/guatemala/ guatemalas-children-bear-brunt-prolonged-drought-and-rising-heat
28 Steffens, G (2018), Changing climate forces desperate Guatemalans to migrate. National Geographic. Accessed 22 January 2020.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/10/drought-climate-change-force-guatemalans-migrate-to-us
29 UNICEF Guatemala, ‘Progress Report to Unicef UK,’ May 2020. Available upon request.
30 Read more about Paz Joven at https://pazjoven.org/.
31 UNICEF Guatemala, ‘Progress Report to Unicef UK,’ May 2020. Available upon request.14 The right climate to learn
Research by The World Bank further 3. Education empowers children Through quality climate change
suggests that millions of climate- and young people to create a education and education for
related deaths could have been more sustainable future sustainable development, children
previously avoided with significant and young people become effective
improvements to girl’s education In 2019, we experienced the largest at raising awareness among their
in developing countries.32 Countries environmental protests the world has peers, creating a powerful multiplier
with a focus on girls’ education also ever seen. Millions of young people effect for climate awareness,
experienced fewer losses of life in from over 100 countries called for sustainable development, and disaster
extreme weather events compared rapid and improved action on climate risk reduction.39 For example, Plan
to comparators with less progressive change. It is they who will bear the International’s child centred climate
approaches to girl’s education.33 brunt of climate change, but far change adaptation programme, Act
Investing in inclusive, quality and from being passive victims, children to Adapt, demonstrated how children
safe education provides children and young people are proving their and young people can become peer
and young people with the basic potential as effective and important educators when adapting to the risks
and higher order skills needed as our agents of change. of a changing climate.40
climate changes. A changing climate
contributes to unpredictability and Head of the UNCC: Learn Secretariat, When engaged with quality education
complexity in the world around us and Angus Mackay, has described for sustainable development, children
a quality education provides young education as “the fundamental entry are better prepared for and more likely
people with the critical life skills and point for nurturing future leaders to become advocates for sustainable
knowledge to navigate this.34 This in the area of climate change”.36 development in their communities.41
includes problem-solving, critical This is because education is central Research demonstrates that when
thinking, adaptation and leadership to empowering young people with young people have knowledge of
skills which are all vital to the ability both a knowledge of climate issues climate change issues and perceive
of children and young people, in the and the skills required to advance their agency to be high, they are
long term, to adapt to the effects advocacy and action.37 This is more likely to champion sustainability
of slow onset climate change.35 demonstrated by education and in their communities and provide
training programmes around the constructive policy recommendations
Climate change, poverty and world, in countries such as Taiwan, to local leaders.42 When we empower
education are inextricably linked. Colombia, and Nigeria, which have all young people with the relevant
We must invest in quality, safe and generated active youth leadership on knowledge, skills and agency, they are
inclusive education in order to alleviate sustainability in local communities.38 better positioned to hold their local
poverty and improve the resilience and communities and governments to
adaptive capacity of young people to account on climate issues.43
climate change.
32 Blankespoor, B et al (2010). The Economics of Adaptation to Extreme Weather Events in Developing Countries.
The World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/753291468331254875/pdf/566590NWP0D1CC10Box353730B01PUBLIC1
.pdf. (accessed January 20 2020).
33 Ibid.
34 UNESCO (2012). Climate change education for sustainable development in Small Island Developing States: report and recommendations.
35 T he Commonwealth Hub (2015). Education & Climate Change – Discussion Summary. https://www.thecommonwealth-educationhub.
net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Climate-Change-Discussion-Summary.pdf. Accessed 27 January 2020. ; Ibid.
36 UN Joint Framework Initiative on Children, Youth and Climate Change (2013). Youth in Action on Climate Change: Inspirations from Around the World.
37 Ibid.
38 Ibid.
39 Ibid.
40 Plan International (n.d.) Act to Adapt: the next generation leads the way!
41 UNESCO (2015). Not Just Hot Air: Putting Climate Change Education Into Practice.; Ibid
42 T hew, H. “Youth participation and agency in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change”,
Int Environ Agreements 18, 369-389 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-018-9392-2
43 Thew, H (2019). “Climate Strikes: Researcher Explains How Young People Can Keep Up the Momentum”. The Conversation. https://
theconversation.com/climate-strikes-researcher-explains-how-young-people-can-keep-up-the-momentum-11359415 The right climate to learn
CASE STUDY
Mozambique and Cyclone Idai
“Many of my classmates never came back to school...
School is very important, we all know that” Miranda age 11, Mozambique.
Miranda lost her classroom and her home when pre-existing poor enrolment and poor learning in the
Cyclone Idai hit. country; less than 20 per cent of secondary-aged
children are enrolled. As a result of the cyclone, many
In 2019, more than 305,000 children in Mozambique families lost their livelihoods and were plunged into
had their education interrupted because of poverty – this could further decrease enrolment
damage caused by Cyclone Idai, with over 3400 and increase dropout rates as children are instead
classrooms damaged or destroyed. Undamaged sent to work to help support their families.
schools were also turned into emergency shelters
and therefore required rehabilitation before In the wake of Cyclone Idai, DFID contributed
they could become learning spaces again. $5.2 million to support educational responses, as
part of a wider $14 million fund alongside ECW and
The damage suffered by Mozambique’s education Dubai Cares.44
system as a result of Cyclone Idai exacerbated the
© Saman Saidi / Save the Children
44 Education Cannot Wait (2019). “ECW and partners announce allocation of US $14 million for the victims of
Cyclone Idai.” https://www.educationcannotwait.org/cyclone-idai/16 The right climate to learn
2. The impacts of climate change on education
Increased frequency of natural a crisis often means families that the support needed to deal with
disasters disrupts education. are already struggling are plunged physical impairments and the stress
Climate change is increasing the further into poverty and so often and trauma of experiencing a crisis
frequency and severity of extreme depend on their children entering situation children’s development is
climate events with natural disasters informal labour.48 Perceptions around hindered.52 However, teachers, who
globally occurring almost five times as the lack of value of education for themselves can often be dealing with
frequently as 40 years ago.45 Nearly children with disabilities can also trauma, rarely receive training on how
40 million children a year have their mean that when families face financial to either provide this type of support
education interrupted by natural hardship they deprioritise education or refer children to external support
disasters and subsequent disease for children with disabilities.49 services should they exist.53
outbreaks following extreme weather
events.46 This number will continue to Girls, especially adolescent girls, are Climate change increases
grow unless urgent action is taken. particularly vulnerable. Adolescent migration and displacement.
girls are at an additional risk of Climate-related disasters are the single
In times of natural disasters, disruption being pulled out of school to help biggest cause of internal displacement
to education in poor communities alleviate extra domestic burdens such over the last decade – forcing over 20
occurs as schools and routes to them as fetching water. Girls are also at million people a year from their homes.
are too often built on unsafe sites and risk of being married off early in an That’s roughly one person every 2
the materials used to build them are attempt by households to manage the seconds.54
of insufficient quality. Access to school financial burdens or safety concerns
during and after a natural disaster is borne by environmental hardships UNESCO recognises that climate could
therefore restricted due to damaged and aftermath of weather related be a main reason for migration and
infrastructure. Education may also disasters. These circumstances can displacement within a few years55, with
be stopped as undamaged school trigger early life transitions, including estimates falling between 25 million
buildings are used to house disaster- early pregnancy, that send girls into and 1 billion people being on the move
affected communities. a cycle of intergenerational poverty, due to climate change by 2030.56
vulnerability and marginalisation.50 Climate induced migration and
Furthermore, education is often one displacement occurs when sudden
of the first things families abandon Psychological trauma as a result or progressive changes in the
when disasters strike.47 This is because of an extreme climate event can environment adversely affect people’s
times of crisis present increased risks lead to mental health conditions lives or living conditions and they
of violence, abuse and exploitation for children, which makes it difficult therefore choose to or are forced to
for children so parents may choose to to learn and is linked to the early leave their homes.
keep children at home. Additionally, termination of education. 51 Without
45 UNICEF (2015). Unless We Act Now.
46 TheirWorld (2018). Safe Schools: The Hidden Crisis. https://theirworld.org/resources/detail/safe-schools-the-hidden-crisis.
47 UNICEF and Plan International (2011). The Benefits of a Child-centered Approach to Climate Change Adaptation.
48 Plan International (2013). Because I am a Girl – the State of the World’s Girls 2013: In Double Jeopardy - Adolescent Girls and Disasters.
49 Sightsavers (n.d.), Policy Context Analysis: Malawi and Uganda.
50 Ibid.
51 Ryan, G., Iemmi, V., Hanna, F., Loryman, H. and Eaton, J. (2019). Mental Health for Sustainable Development: A Topic Guide for
Development Professionals. K4D Emerging Issues Report. London and Brighton, UK: Mental Health Innovation Network and IDS.
52 Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, (2016). From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts: A Science-Based Approach to Building a More
Promising Future for Young Children and Families.
53 Save the Children (2018). Time to Act.
54 Oxfam (2019). Forced From Home: climate fuelled displacement. https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/forced-home-climate-
fuelled-displacement, (accessed 26th February, 2020).
55 Global Education Monitoring Report (2019). Migration, displacement and education: building bridges, not walls
56 International Organisation for Migration (IOM), (2014). IOM outlook on migration, environment and climate change.17 The right climate to learn
CASE STUDY
Jessy and Issac in Malawi
Malawi’s agriculturally based economy is highly because drought and famine had disrupted the
vulnerable to climate change. Creeping disruptions attendance of teachers, “We don’t learn, we just
in growing seasons, coupled with more frequent spend a lot of time at school waiting for teachers. But
and intense drought and flooding is harming they don’t come”. Isaac also explained that many
agricultural growth. With weather patterns expected schools have been destroyed by floods in recent years;
to become more extreme in the coming decades, a close relative of his died in one recently.
already extended dry periods will be lengthened,
temperatures will reach the threshold of the country’s Jessy’s parents are farmers and, during times of low-
staple crop (maize) and erratic, more extreme rainfall yield because of climate-related factors, have not
will increase the risk of flooding and further harm always been able to afford her schools fees. She has
agriculture. sometimes missed school and done small jobs to
raise money. She is now a beneficiary of a project by
In Jessy and Isaac’s community, in the Kasungu Oxfam Malawi which aims to increase the number
District of Malawi, high climate variability and of girls completing secondary school. She is now
increased incidence of extreme weather are already the Head Girl at her secondary school. Jessy and
posing barriers to their education. Their families Isaac also discussed how the nearest river has dried
depend on agriculture as their source of income up, meaning that some children often arrive late to
and livelihood. However, the changing climate has school and miss out on learning as they must walk
resulted in less food for their families to both consume further for their water source. Jessy also explained
and sell. This means there is less money for school that rising temperatures have increased the rates of
fees and attendance has therefore been affected. malaria and, due to the gendered role of caring for
Isaac explained that his education had also suffered their family, girls can sometimes miss school.
© Watipaso Kailwo/Oxfam GB18 The right climate to learn
CASE STUDY
Drought in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia an entire way of life is under threat drought. Now she lives with her parents and six
from climate change; huge numbers of children siblings in one small hut. As the oldest child, she takes
and young people are being forced to give up care of the household and her younger siblings.
their pastoralist way of life owing to drought.
The effects of droughts and other factors have
14-year-old Habiba* is one of more than a million been stark and far reaching. Save the Children’s
children in Ethiopia who have been displaced due teams across Ethiopia are seeing communities
to conflict and drought. She arrived at a makeshift struggling to regenerate pastures, replenish water
camp on the edge of a settlement two years ago. supplies and restore livestock herds. Nearly seven
Her family lived as pastoralists in the Somali region of million people face hunger and food shortages.
Ethiopia but lost all their camels owing to persistent
CASE STUDY
Floods in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is widely understood to be one of the Humanity and Inclusion are currently implementing
most vulnerable countries to climate change. This is a regional project known as Growing Together,
due to its high levels of poverty, population density, which is also working to support children in
and unique geography, dominated by floodplains refugee camps in Bangladesh. A key objective
and with low elevation, which makes it vulnerable to of the project is using education to support
extreme flooding. children’s and the community’s understanding
of inclusive disaster risk reduction (iDRR), aiming
Flooding has a huge impact on education to improve their ability to respond to flooding.
across the country. For example, in August and
early September of 2017, floods left 3 million For example, children have engaged in interactive
children in need of education in emergencies sessions where they identified post-flooding risks,
assistance and 4,000 schools needed urgent repair.57 vulnerable groups who would need protection, and
This led to the suspension of education for several how they should respond. Children with disabilities
weeks, signification disruptions to attendance, and were also able to identify their own challenges in the
the closure of 1,693 schools which were used event of a flood and the groups came up with plans
as shelters.58 for mitigating these risks.
57 Save the Children (2017). Education Disrupted, Education Denied.
58 Ibid.19 The right climate to learn
Whether displaced by natural disasters risk to climate change because social, and exacerbating other forms of
or migration due to slow-onset economic and/or gender inequality disadvantage.
impacts of climate change, many of increases vulnerability.
the children forced to flee will require Poverty means families often have to
support to continue their education. This is recognised in the Fifth make difficult decisions about who to
Children on the move already face Assessment Report, which notes that send to school, as school fees are still
significant barriers in accessing climate change interacts with other a major barrier to education for the
education. Nearly three-quarters of stressors and structural inequities worlds’ poorest.65 Boys’ education is
all secondary aged refugees are out to shape vulnerabilities, and that often prioritised, meaning girls are
of school59 and there are 44 million socially disadvantaged people at the more likely to miss out on schooling.
girls out of secondary school in crisis- ‘intersection of various dimensions Schools serving the poorest children
affected countries. For every 10 of discrimination’ including gender, are also often inadequately resourced
refugee boys in secondary school, there age, race, class, caste, indigeneity and and financed, meaning a poor quality
are fewer than seven girls.60 Linguistic, disability are ‘particularly negatively of teaching and learning. And children
economic, legal, and social barriers affected by climate change and living in poverty may find it difficult to
all prevent children on the move from climate-related hazards’.61 learn when they are in school due to
realising their right to education. stress, hunger and poor development
With climate change likely to increase Children and young people belonging early on in life.
the number of migrating children, to these marginalised groups are
and increasing the complexity of therefore particularly susceptible to Climate change and girls’
movement, it is imperative that the impacts of climate change and education
education systems are built to include are being least prepared by education Girls are already more likely to be
and support both emigrating and systems to cope with and adapt to a out of school than boys, and twice
immigrating children. Education changing climate.62 as many girls as boys will never
systems must be built with these start school.66 Girls face challenges
children in mind, having systems Climate change and poverty unique to their age and gender
in place that address climate The poorest children and young people that are different to those faced by
displacement before, during and after are four times more likely not to go adult women and adolescent boys.
a move. to school than the richest and five Harmful social norms that devalue
times less likely to complete primary their education, school-related gender-
The poorest and most education.63 Poor children are therefore based violence (GBV) and other forms
marginalised children are faring less likely to secure the basic skills of GBV in the home or the community,
the worst needed to build resilience and adapt to early marriage and pregnancy are all
a changing climate. major obstacles to learning that are
Children and young people in already amplified in times of humanitarian
marginalised positions, such as girls, Poverty has been a proven cause crisis. Heightened insecurity, the
children with disabilities, children living of educational disadvantage and breakdown of social support networks
in poverty, and displaced and refugee is an overarching and cross-cutting and cultural structures can exacerbate
children are at a heightened factor in exclusion from school and gender inequality, compounding the
learning,64 often intersecting with challenges faced by girls.
59 UNHCR (2019). Stepping up: Refugee education in crisis.
60 Plan International UK, 2019. ‘Left Out Left Behind’. https://plan-uk.org/file/plan-uk-left-out-left-behind-reportpdf/download?token=kSIq8iq1
61 Olsson et al (2014) Livelihoods and Poverty. In Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. p796. UNFCCC (2015) Paris Agreement. p2
62 Ibid.
63 Save the Children, 2018. Still Left Behind?
64 UNESCO (2015). Education For All 2000–2015: Achievements and Challenges.
65 World Bank, 2017. World Development Report: Governance and the Law.
66 UNESCO (2016). Leaving no one behind: How far on the way to universal primary and secondary education?20 The right climate to learn
CASE STUDY
Flooding in Bangladesh makes the journey to school dangerous
“We had no toilets and we, girls, felt insecurity when going outside
the school for toileting. We didn’t go to school regularly during
floods, or we came at our own risk, and our books and dresses were
dirtied by water and mud”
Shapla goes to a school on the banks of the Teesta We didn’t go to school regularly during floods, or we
River in Bangladesh, and she can only get to school came at our own risk, and our books and dresses were
by crossing the river on a boat. When there’s heavy dirtied by water and mud”.
rain and flooding, the high water levels make her and
her friends journey to school extremely dangerous. However, Plan International’s programme has
Also, the rain can cause the classrooms to flood, ensured that Shapla’s education no longer suffers
which can close her school for a long period of time. because of the weather. A new, larger boat has been
provided to ensure that Shapla and her friends have a
Sometimes, students will arrive at school with wet safe journey to school, even in times of heavy rain.
clothes and books from crossing the river. As there The school building has also been improved so that
aren’t separate changing rooms or toilets for boys the classrooms are less likely to flood. As well as this,
and girls, this has caused safety issues for girls which, there are now separate changing rooms and toilets
as Shapla explains, causes many girls choose to for girls and boys, so they don’t miss school in times
miss school – “we had no toilets and we, girls, felt of heavy rain and flooding.
insecurity when going outside the school for toileting.
© Plan International21 The right climate to learn
These risks are magnified in a developing countries may never go being left behind for a variety of
changing climate, especially as back to the classroom.69 Without reasons, including discrimination
climate change will increase scarcity urgent action now, these girls will see and the perception that children and
of resources, increase conflict, and their opportunities dashed, their safety young people with disabilities are
exacerbate inequality, compounding compromised and their vulnerability unable to learn, inadequate resources
the already considerable barriers to to climate related disasters and slow- and infrastructure to cater to their
education for girls. onset climate change heightened. needs in schools, and a lack of data
and accountability on their access
Household-level decisions about Climate change and children to education and learning. Girls with
sending children to school are with disabilities’ education disabilities are often impacted by
affected by deteriorations in Children and young people with discrimination based on both their
livelihoods caused by shifting weather disabilities are disproportionately gender and their disability, which
patterns and changes in seasonality. vulnerable to the effects of climate can further limit their access to
Increased burdens, for example, change. Children with disabilities are quality education.
of water and fuel collection, which more likely to be living in poverty.70
disproportionately fall on girls, prevent Children and young people with During climate related emergencies,
girls from attending school.67 disabilities often experience high levels children and young people with
of stigma and discrimination and face disabilities tend to be invisible and
Further, extreme weather events cause a multitude of barriers to accessing overlooked in emergency relief
more children and young people to quality health care, education and operations,73 and increasingly
miss school because of damaged employment. This context means pressurised budgets mean less
schools and access routes, the use of that children and young people tend resources are available for accessible
school buildings as evacuation centers, to have low levels of resilience to the and affordable services.74 Already
psychosocial impacts, and injuries. Girls impacts of climate crises when they inaccessible environments can
are more likely not to return to school occur. Furthermore, climate change become even more inaccessible
after a disaster - in Pakistan, after the is likely to cause an increase in the which makes accessing education
2010 floods, 24% of girls in Grade 6 prevalence of disability.71 even more challenging. During
dropped out of school, compared with climate emergencies the impact
6% of boys.68 Half of children and young people of existing discrimination can be
with disabilities in lower and middle- magnified, for example the practice
The COVID-19 pandemic is also set income countries do not go to school of hiding children with disabilities
to disproportionately impact girls and are being increasingly left behind away from the community could
and young women. The Malala Fund by global efforts to increase education have serious consequences.
estimates that once the pandemic opportunities for all.72 Children and
passes, up to 20 million girls in young people with disabilities are
67 Bangay, C. and Blum, N., 2010. Education Responses to Climate Change and Quality: Two Parts of the
Same Agenda? International Journal of Educational Development 30(4): 335-450
68 Bradshaw, S. and Fordham., M, (2013). Women, Girls, and Disasters: A review for DFID.
69 Malala Fund (2020). Malala Fund Releases Report on Girls’ Education and COVID-19. https://www.malala.org/
newsroom/archive/malala-fund-releases-report-girls-education-covid-19 (accessed 12 November 2020)
70 Ibid.
71 Kett, M. and Cole, E. (2018) Disability and Climate Resilience Research Report. Leonard Cheshire.
72 The International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, (2016). The Learning Generation: investing in education for a changing world.
73 Choy, 2009 cited by Lewis & Ballard 2011
74 Ibid.22 The right climate to learn Sheshig, 13, lives in a town outside Lalibela, Ethiopia. Over the past few years, the El Nino-induced drought has had a major impact on her education, as she’s often had to fetch water rather than go to school. With the support of Plan International, Shesheg no longer has to skip class as she now has access to clean water, just five minutes from her home. © Plan International / Petterik Wiggers
23 The right climate to learn
3. Education systems inadequate
to respond to climate change
A changing climate requires the pandemic.78 The inability of urgently address the learning crisis
foundational and higher- education systems to respond to the now, millions of children will be left
order skills to survive, but interruptions caused by COVID-19 vulnerable to climate change.
education systems around the has laid bare the cost of weak
world are failing to deliver. resilience. This is a harbinger of the Besides the lack of progress on
toll that a changing climate will wreak securing the fundamentals in access
The world is vastly off track in unless urgent action is taken now. and learning, we are failing to
delivering the universal right to prepare children and young people
education, one that it promised to Further, lack of progress on access to create a more sustainable future.
deliver for all children and young and learning in basic education
people via Sustainable Development leaves millions of children and young The sustainable development goal on
Goal 4 (SDG4) – the goal to provide people without foundational skills and education includes a target promising
quality and inclusive education for all therefore vulnerable to a changing that by 2030 all learners will acquire
by 2030. climate. 258 million children remain the knowledge and skills needed to
out of school79 and millions more promote sustainable development.
Recent projections reveal that none children who do access school are not Education can contribute to a more
of the ten targets that form part of acquiring even the most basic and sustainable world because it can
Sustainable Development Goal 4 will foundational skills needed to survive in develop the skills and mindsets needed
be met by 2030.75 This means that our increasingly complex and changing for building and contributing to a
education systems are not preparing world. A staggering 387 million green economy and the promotion of
children and young people with the children of primary school age will not sustainable communities.
basic or higher order skills, knowledge, achieve minimum proficiency levels
behaviours and attitudes needed in a in reading; two-thirds of them – 262 Education for Sustainable
changing climate. million – are in school.80 Development (ESD) has received
increasing attention since UNESCO
The COVID-19 pandemic has now Recent projections reveal almost no launched its ‘Decade for Education
exacerbated this challenge: the progress on reducing the number for Sustainable Development’ in
pandemic impacted the learning of children who are out of school by 2004.84 However, ESD is still not
of 1.6 billion learners. An estimated 2030.81 24 million children are out of adequately integrated into many
40% of low and lower-middle- school because of humanitarian crises: curricula around the world, and
income countries did not support 54% - or 13 million – are girls.82 teachers’ capacity on delivering ESD is
the most marginalised children, such not being supported or strengthened.
as the poorest, linguistic minorities Unless the learning crisis is addressed, Globally, little over 20% of reporting
and learners with disabilities.76 more than 750 million young people countries dedicate enough teaching
Further, only 12% of household in in low and middle-income countries hours to ESD, while few countries
the least developed countries have will not have the skills to participate in incorporate ESD into in-service
internet access at home.77 It is also tomorrow’s economy, and 1.5 billion teacher training: large gaps persist
estimated that up to 20 million girls adults in 2030 will have no education in the mainstreaming of education
might never return to school after beyond primary school.83 Unless we for sustainable development.85
75 UNESCO, 2019. Meeting Commitments? Are countries on track to achieve SDG4?
76 UNESCO. 2020. Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. Paris, UNESCO.
77 Ibid.
78 Ibid.
79 UNESCO, 2019. New Methodology Shows that 258 Million Children, Adolescents and Youth Are Out of School.
80 Ibid.
81 Ibid.
82 Ibid.
83 The International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, 2016. The Learning Generation: investing in education for a changing world
84 UNESCO, 2014. Shaping the future we want: A Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; final report.
85 Ibid.You can also read
