INCLUSION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

That this House condemns the proposed removal of climate change from the national curriculum guidelines for key stages one to three; agrees with former Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Sir David King that the exclusion of such issues represents an abdication of our duty to future generations, as well as major political interference with the geography syllabus; notes the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change's statements that climate science, risks, impacts and the way ahead have never been clearer, that for a 50 per cent chance of limiting warming to 2ºC, emissions need to peak and begin to fall in developed countries in the next few years, and that failing to take action based on the evidence is a huge gamble with the future of our children, grandchildren, and every other living species; believes it is therefore unacceptable for under 14s and pupils who do not study GCSE geography to be denied a science-based understanding of climate change impacts on human beings in the UK and elsewhere; calls on Ministers to consider the views of the UK Youth Climate Coalition that teaching about climate change is too important to be left to individual teachers' choice; endorses the People and Planet petition to the Secretary of State for Education calling for the interdependence of humans and our environment and sustainable development to remain embedded in the curriculum; and urges Ministers to keep climate change in the national curriculum for key stages one to three.