Citation: 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.
places and teachers, such movements present additional challenges in dealing with both the
specific educational needs of immigrants (e.g. language of instruction) as well as the
potential for conflict at the level of the classroom and community. As has recently been seen
in the UK, for instance, responding to rapid localised increases in education demand
resulting from immigration can be challenging (see BBC 2009b).
In extreme circumstances, such as those potentially facing some low lying islands in the
Pacific, there is a need to make preparations for mass evacuation to mainland nations and
also to consider the international „portability’ of qualifications. In the most severe incidences
it is likely that whole national populations will have to evacuate areas that are inundated or
become uninhabitable. Investment and preparations are therefore needed to ensure that
these populations have the skills and qualifications which will assist them in the relocation
process, and in re-establishing healthy lives and stable livelihoods in new locations.
In addition to extreme weather events, climate change is also already being implicated in
changes in seasonality. In most countries seasons have shaped the timing of the school
year, and in many developing countries key processes in the management of educational
provision have evolved to accommodate seasonal patterns. These include the timing and
duration in which school building and maintenance is practicable, the examination cycle and
textbook distribution. Similarly, disease incidence (and by implication school attendance) is
also known to follow seasonal cycles. Given the significance of seasonality in many
developing countries, school systems will therefore need the capacity to align with seasonal
change. Countries with significant regional climactic differences will also need to consider
the benefits of decentralised decision making about the timing of key education dates and
processes.
The impact of CO2 already released into the atmosphere will make further climate change
inevitable. In turn, this is set to contribute to environmental degradation and associated
deterioration in livelihoods and with this the ability of households to enrol and retain children
in school. The potential cost of demand side interventions such as conditional cash transfers
(CCTs) to counter such economic impacts are likely to be large and sustained. Developing
better understandings of the potential and pitfalls of such demand side/ cash transfer
interventions in support of education is a sensible priority. In particular, given the associated
health and nutrition impacts of deteriorating livelihoods, understanding the degree to which
demand side programmes can integrate interventions in support of broader health and
cognitive development objectives is key6.
6.2 Re-orienting Education
As outlined above, in the context of climate change there is also a clear need to reconsider
existing approaches to education, and especially their potential to provide learners with
education and training that will help them to respond to a diverse and rapidly changing world.
Although we have argued that educational responses to climate change should not consist
solely of adding new „inputs’ to curricula, we recognise that addressing climate change (and
promoting sustainable development more generally) does also require the promotion of
some key areas of knowledge and skills. These will be needed at all levels (primary,
secondary, tertiary, and adult education) as well as via diverse modes of delivery (formal,
non-formal, professional development).
There are likely to be a wide range of specific topics and content areas which are needed to
address climate/ environmental change and impacts, and this may vary significantly
6 See, for example, the multi-agency „Focusing Resources on Effective School Health’ (FRESH)
initiative (http://www.freshschools.org/Pages/default.aspx).
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