Make teachers, students climate action agents

Kapchelala Primary School pupils planting trees with KVDA Chairman Mark Chesergon at their school compound in Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 17, 2022. [Christopher Kipsang, Standard] The world celebrated Teachers Day on Thursday, with a focus on their role in "transforming education" and what they need to excel. Teachers help nations achieve key long-term goals. We have one on climate change. Climate change poses significant risks to food security through crop failure, aided by pests, diseases and unpredictable rain patterns. Kenya contributes little to the global carbon emission, and is a leader in climate action through green energy and related solutions. But the economy is vulnerable to severe effects of climate change such as drought and floods. The Institute of Economic Affairs projects an "equivalent to a loss of 2.6 per cent of GDP each year by 2030 ... largely due to the climate-sensitive nature of Kenya's economy". Kenya's National Climate Change Policy (Sessional Paper 3 of 2016) emphasizes climate change mainstreaming in all sectors to build adaptive capacity and resilience. Incorporating climate change into education curricula is therefore a necessity. Kenya has always recognised the importance of environmental education. Former President Daniel arap Moi normalised tree planting and building gabions to prevent "mmomonyoko wa udongo (soil erosion)". These efforts, including through music and media, involved teachers and learners. During a Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice Symposium at Kenyatta University recently, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu said government was complying with the 2021 Berlin declaration to have environmental education a co-curriculum component by 2025. He said the ministry had updated books and other educational materials that integrate climate change topics. Books are a good source of content for learners, but tutors make them practicable. Integrating climate change in education must focus on multiple disciplines, including agriculture, environmental science, economics and policy to foster holistic understanding. To achieve this, teacher training curricula must also integrate climate change. With more climate change information come career opportunities for teachers and learners in environmental conservation, renewable energy, and climate science. Education is key in building capacity on policies around climate change. A knowledgeable population can push for implementation of policies and more budget allocation to climate mitigation and adaptation at local and national levels. These help address immediate and long-term climate challenges. Teachers are key in achieving these goals because they actively participate in curriculum development, especially at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. They can use extracurricular activities such as drama and music festivals, besides environmental clubs and science contests to build capacity and encourage innovative climate solutions. Through teachers, there have been skillfully crafted messages about agriculture, forests, wildlife, calamities and freshwater sources, besides health implications of changing weather patterns and their link to diseases like malaria, dengue, and cholera. These, added to skills acquired from non-conventional curricula, including capacity building in conferences and community-led action, will boost resilience. Since Kenya is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, educating more people about climate change instills a sense of global responsibility. Teachers are Kenya's sure bet to achieve these goals. Even with integration of climate change into education curricula, Kenya must consistently pay teachers and lecturers well, train and let them equip the next generation with knowledge and skills needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Happy World Teachers Day! The writer is a climate justice advocate

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