The Ministry of Education is integrating components of climate change into the school syllabus to raise awareness among teachers and students.
Curriculum Advisory Services director Alumeci Tuisawau said upon approval in 2012, consultations with SPC/GIZ CCCPIR evolved and this resulted in the development of a picture based toolkit.
“There is a need to integrate climate change awareness into the curriculum aligning to the national climate change policy,” Mrs Tuisawau said.
“It is still an ongoing process with integration into the curriculum in progress. It also has to go in line with the review of the National Curriculum Framework which we are developing at the moment.
“After the trial, and in 2015 with the implementation, more students will be fully aware.”
The picture-based outreach toolkit is being developed by a team of consultants with education representatives from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Vanuatu and Tonga.
In this context as part of the ongoing commitment to the Pacific- Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning (PACCSAP) program, PACCSAP commissioned SPC to develop the toolkit on climate change for the education sector in collaboration with SPC/GIZ CCCPIR and SPREP.
Advisor for SPC/GIZ Climate Change and Education, Hanna Sabass reiterated the provided support for the development of educational materials under the PACCSAP program would assist the teachers and students.
“The understanding of the impacts of climate change on a country’s economy, environment, on people and how the people can adapt to changes by helping in reducing emissions that is called mitigation,” Ms Sabass said.
“Development of picture-based medium will convey meaning better compared to scientific text. The scientific text is still too difficult to grasp, especially with children.
“Try to translate all the knowledge on climate variability impacting projections and how to adapt and mitigate on the context of Pacific Island countries into pictures.”
The focus is specifically on students at years seven and eight since Pacific Education ministries perceived this an appropriate time to introduce students to the science of climate change.
The Curriculum Development Unit (CDU) is working in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)/GIZ to develop a picture-based outreach toolkit for schools.
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