Overview

The Education (Environment and Sustainable Citizenship) Bill amends the Education Act 2002 to incorporate sustainable citizenship and environmental protection into the national curriculum in England. It mandates teaching about the environment's impact on humans and vice versa, and develops skills for environmental protection and restoration.

Description

This Bill modifies the Education Act 2002 to include environmental education within the citizenship curriculum for all secondary school students in England. Key changes include:

• Curriculum Amendments: Section 1 amends the Act to add a requirement that the curriculum "instils an ethos and ability to care for oneself, others and the natural environment, for present and future generations." It also explicitly mandates "sustainable citizenship education" for all secondary students.
• Guidance: Section 80C requires the Secretary of State to provide guidance on sustainable citizenship education, ensuring that pupils learn about the impact of human behaviour and the natural environment on human wellbeing, and develop skills to protect and restore the environment and measure the impact of their actions. This guidance must be reviewed periodically.
• Key Stage Amendments: Further amendments to sections 84 and 85 broaden the definition of "citizenship" in the curriculum to include programmes of study focusing on protecting and restoring the natural environment, encompassing climate change considerations.

Government Spending

The Bill does not specify direct government spending figures. The cost will likely be associated with developing and implementing the new curriculum guidance, teacher training, and potentially resource provision for schools.

Groups Affected

• Schools and Teachers: Schools in England will need to adapt their curricula to meet the new requirements, and teachers will require training on teaching these new subjects.
• Secondary School Students: Students will be directly impacted by the new curriculum content, receiving education focused on environmental sustainability and citizenship.
• Secretary of State for Education: Responsible for developing and disseminating the required guidance and monitoring implementation.

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