From Awareness to Action: Canadians on Climate Change and Education
Canadians agree that climate change education should be a high priority for schooling (62%) but only 9% of students say climate change is discussed “often” in their classes. Schools are falling short in preparing students to understand and respond to climate change. In fact, only 25% of Canadians would award their schools an A or B grade. These are the findings of a new report released by Learning for a Sustainable Future, a Canadian charity that integrates sustainability education into Canada’s school systems. From Awareness to Action: Canadians on Climate Change and Education 2025 is the 3rd climate change and education survey conducted by LSF through Leger Web Survey. The survey results are timely and urgent as Canadians confront worsening climate impacts and a growing understanding about the critical role that education must play.
The survey of 4,226 Canadians including parents, students, teachers and the general public further found that 80% of Canadians are certain climate change is happening but only 17% of Canadians are confident that they can tell the difference between real and fake climate change information. The majority of Canadians (79%) agree that climate change education needs to teach students to be critical thinkers in order to counteract misinformation.
Of teachers surveyed, less than half (47%) feel they have the knowledge and skills to teach climate change. Teachers are asking for more professional development, more resources, more strategies to learn to identify and address misinformation, and they want clearer curriculum support. They’re also calling for a school-wide culture that values climate education, not just isolated efforts in individual classrooms, for all grade levels. One Newfoundland-based teacher stated that “climate change should be a topic that is taught from day one – kindergarten curriculum should include more information […] to intercept misinformation learned as [students] get older. Teaching them to be critical thinkers and to be aware that all sources are not always reliable”.
The survey results show that Canadians care about climate change education. Teachers are trying, but they need more support. And students? They’re ready, they just need the opportunity and some guidance. When asked what they would tell their teachers, the message was loud and clear. One student from BC asked teachers to “present it in a way that’s relevant, that I can understand,” while another student said “tell me how I can personally make an impact”. The survey data urges all levels of the education system to take action and re-imagine what it could look like if climate education was taken seriously! This includes improving curriculum and allowing more flexibility to integrate climate change freely, expanding professional development for teachers and providing more resources and support. It also includes fostering a school-wide culture of climate learning and, most importantly, giving students the tools to think critically and act confidently.
The time to take action is now. “This survey is certainly fitting with our times and brings an important issue to the forefront of education. […] We are sitting on the cusp of a major change and the direction in which curriculum is going” states an Ontario-based teacher. The next steps are clear. It’s up to all of us to make meaningful change.
Meet the Expert(s)
Pamela Schwartzberg
President and CEO, Learning for a Sustainable Future
Pamela has over 30 years of progressive experience in strategic planning, policy development, project management, research and writing. She served as Ontario Program Director for Learning for a Sustai...
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