CLIMATE change with its challenges to livelihood and national economies will need to be addressed at a much younger age than just at the decision-making level.
Thus Government’s decision to incorporate climate change issues at Fiji’s primary, secondary and tertiary school curriculum is meant to create greater awareness and participation to mitigate and adapt to this global phenomenon.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation permanent secretary Saipora Mataikabara said Government values education and the positive attributes it has to nation building.
However with changing weather patterns and new challenges facing the world, Government has endorsed a thorough review of Fiji’s primary, secondary and tertiary school curriculum to incorporate climate change issues into the classrooms.
This was revealed after Fiji signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), which will fund the incorporation of a climate change syllabus into the curriculum.
Mrs Mataikabara says the education ministry has endorsed the work plan to support the implementation of the Education and Training as Fiji together with the pacific is in the forefront of climate change and global warming.
“This will include the review and update of the current primary and secondary curricula and tertiary and vocational education courses to ensure the inclusion of local, accurate and current climate change information, and to encourage student research around the issue of climate change,” she said.
“CDU is to assess and review teaching materials on climate change regularly to account for the dynamic nature of climate change science, research and international progress and develop appropriate educational materials and learning tools on climate change for children with special needs in Special Education Schools (like Fiji School for the Blind), early intervention programmes and in primary and secondary schools.”
Government says that this will ensure that education and training programs are designed to allow and encourage individuals to understand, and to take action on mitigation and adaptation.
The Climate Change Unit is located at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to the global initiatives that is required to address climate change.
Government’s plan towards minimising the impacts of climate change and building a climate change resilience community is stipulated in the National Climate Change Policy.