As anÌýundergraduate studying biology inÌýEdinburgh around 20 years ago, I remember lectures that clearly outlined the risks of a global pandemic and climate change to the public, societyÌýand the economy.
We are now living through both.ÌýÌýÌýÌý
Given the immediate impact that Covid-19 has had on our lives, it is entirely understandable that the world has sat upright and acted quickly.ÌýHowever, weÌýalso need to recogniseÌýthat although the threatsÌýofÌýclimate change are different to those associated with the pandemic, they are no lessÌýrealÌýand also require creativity, collaboration, and innovation toÌýbeÌýovercome.
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Bearing in mind theÌýmagnitude of theseÌýsorts ofÌýchallenges, it seems right that, as educators, weÌýask how we can assess and redefine education to better equip young people with the relevant skillsÌýand senseÌýof agencyÌýrequiredÌýtoÌýsolve the sustainability issues of our time.
The current notion of Ìýis surely as relevant to education as it is everywhere else. Through the years, many have been quick to suggest that the UK education system is broken, either in part of in full. Disappointingly, those who express these views are most often short on answers.
To address these issues,ÌýDollar Academy -ÌýinÌýpartnershipÌýwith SustainabilityÌýEducation andÌýin association with theÌýUniversity of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership -Ìýheld the first-ever UK summit tackling sustainability and education.
Initially due to take place at our schoolÌýthis spring, we adapted and digitised the offering . On day one, Will Day, longstanding sustainability advisor to PwC, and Emily Shuckburgh, director of , provided an overview of current sustainability issues and their implications for the economy and society. They were joined on day two by industry leaders in oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, transportÌýand drinks production, who outlined how their companies were tackling the challenges of climate change.
A few key themes emerged from the discussions. Firstly, it seems clear that schools need to better understand the ways - both positive and negative -Ìýin which industry and sustainability are inherently connected. To encourage this, it may be worth exploring how industry can take a stake in education. By doing so, we may begin to see a national curriculum that is grounded in contemporary real-world challenges that need solving.
When it comes to the complicated problems that we face in the climate crisis, academics and industry leaders tell us that at least some of the solutions will come from breaking down subject silos. This, too, has serious implications for how we educate our pupils, with the criticality of group-based interdisciplinary working beginning to shine through. The fact that the conference itself was digitised and attended by participants from across the globe is also significant, pointing to the power of connectedness and the importance of widening access.
So, perhaps as a global population, we have not, to date,Ìýlistened to the warnings associated with pandemics and climate change. I am, however, an optimist, and events such as this, where people cameÌýtogether to share challenges and begin to build solutions, fill me with great hope. And hope and optimism are, I think, two powerful tools with which we can build a more sustainable future.
Ian Munro is rector (headteacher) of Dollar Academy, in ScotlandÌý
