Teach the Future Campaign

Published 6.5.20

At We have the POWER we are extremely proud to support the Teach the Future campaign launched at a Parliamentary reception in February 2020 by UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN) and Students Organising For Sustainability(SOS-UK) Teach the Future is a student-led initiative calling for:-

1. A stringent review of our entire education system, from primary through to adult education, to properly prepare today’s young people for the climate and ecological crisis
2. Inclusion of the climate emergency and ecological crisis in teacher training and a new professional teaching qualification
3. An English Climate Emergency Education Act, including a new expectation on all education providers to deliver substantive education on the climate emergency and ecological crisis, funding for the reskilling of teachers and a commitment to retrofitting educational buildings to net-zero as an infrastructural priority.

Thorough UK wide research undertaken by the NUS / Green Schools Project / UKSCN and OXFAM helped influence the thinking behind the campaign and found that:-

• 75% of teachers feel that they have not received adequate training to educate students about climate change and 69% think that there should be more teaching about the climate crisis in UK schools;
• 42% of pupils aged 9-18 say that they have learnt a little, hardly anything or nothing about the environment at school and 68% want to learn more about the environment and climate change.

Let’s all support these incredibly inspiring young people in their demands for reforming the education system. This is about their future, they deserve the best one they can get.

Use this template to write to your MP in support of this campaign.

Read their full set of asks here.