100 days under the new Labour Government

This weekend marked 100 days into this new government and it’s clearer than ever, Labour must invest into school decarbonisation and climate education if they’re serious about reaching net zero.

‍

The school estate makes up the largest portion of public sector emission, yet at spending levels set by the last government, it will take 81 years to decarbonise. To not urgently invest more would be a missed opportunity, one that will negatively impact future generations to come and puts students and teachers at risk.

‍

As centers of our communities and vital places of learning for young people, schools should be a model for sustainability, but this is currently not the case. 80% of schools still contain asbestos and since 2001, 300 school staff have lost their lives due to asbestos exposure - that's nearly one teacher lost every month. Last September, thousands of pupils had to begin the academic year online as their classrooms crumbled due to RAAC. This should be a national scandal, and is proof that this problem cannot be avoided any longer. 

‍

In addition, we’ve seen Labour commission a review of Curriculum and Assessment which is deeply needed and welcome. However, the panel of experts doesn’t include a single young person, or a specialist on the climate and ecological crisis. A ‘broader curriculum’ should be one that includes climate change not just as a worry for the future but a crisis that is happening now, and that all students will understand and be prepared with the solutions.

‍

Labour finds itself in a unique position to provide a safer, more sustainable and healthy learning environment and an updated curriculum for students across the country, a logical and electoral success. Not only does this make sense from a sustainability standpoint, school decarbonisation also fits into three of Labour’s missions:

‍

1. Net Zero: Schools are the single largest carbon emitter in the public sector
2. Opportunities mission: Increasing educational outcomes is a key goal for Labour, and a curriculum which integrates solutions-focused climate education, along with net zero schools can help to achieve this. How? Students will be prepared with the green skills, knowledge and values to tackle the climate emergency and ecological crisis, no matter what they choose to study, where they study or what career they go into. For net-zero schools, for every 1℃ a classroom is too hot, children lose 3% of their learning gain. Therefore, if students were temperature-regulated classrooms, with double glazed windows and proper ventilation, their learning would improve.
3. Health mission: It’s clear that the current state of schools is negatively impacting the health of students and staff, with classrooms filled with mould and asbestos still being used in schools today. Alongside this, the current limited climate education, and information about the ecological crisis, is taught in a problem-centred way which leads to eco-anxiety and is contributing to poor mental health in young people. An updated curriculum which is solutions focused would contribute towards improved mental health.

‍

We made this case in Parliament last week, but the work doesn’t stop now, and we call MPs from across the house to support our calls for a proper investment into school decarbonisation in this coming  budget. 

‍

We’ve got lots planned - watch this space!

‍