INSIGHTS INTO ENGLAND'S EDUCATION POLICY ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract

This paper critically evaluates the UK government’s sustainability and climate change strategy for the education and children’s services systems in England. The approach followed was a critical discourse analysis of the strategy document, which was then compared to qualitative data gathered from more than 200 teachers and teacher educators who co-created a manifesto for education and environmental sustainability. Our study reveals that the government’s strategy prioritizes economic concerns and focuses primarily on a “net zero” policy agenda and increased science-focused knowledge and skills. The political dimensions of climate change are overlooked, which has a depoliticizing effect and leads to the strategy being perceived as a “placebo policy” that fails to address fundamental policy problems. This approach contrasts significantly with the perspectives of teachers and young people, who consistently call for pro-environmental action at all levels, including policymakers. We argue that sustainability and climate change education have been lacking in policy documents and have been largely ignored in responding to the climate crisis. To ensure sustainability is embedded in education and to address social and power inequalities in policy-making, we recommend a co-creation process involving teachers, teacher educators, and young people to develop policies that will serve to align policy and practice.