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* England and Northern Ireland entirely fail to engage over nature education plan for schools
* Wales and Scotland provide enthusiastic and thorough responses * The devolved nations lead the way in environmental education - while England and NI remain apathetic and disinterested Recently I wrote to the education ministers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland asking them to put nature at the core of primary school education, starting with the re-introduction of nature tables to the classroom, something that was common until the early 1970s. There was huge support for the idea from my readers. Many of you agreed that educating children, from the youngest ages, to respect and appreciate nature is perhaps our best hope if we are to encourage biodiversity regeneration in the UK. Alas, as you'll see, in England and Northern Ireland at least, it seems unlikely. Those two governments failed to respond at all. We have to look to the devolved nations of Scotland and Wales for direction and forward thinking. Both countries provided full and enthusiastic feedback to my suggestions. Prompt and thorough response from two devolved nations The Scottish and Welsh governments responded quickly and comprehensively, and pointed out a range of policies that they have established in order to provide their country's children with a positive view of nature and an involved interest with the environment throughout their schooling. The response from Scotland The Scottish Government Directorate for Education Reform told me:- "While climate change, biodiversity and nature are currently covered under sciences, technologies and social studies within Curriculum for Excellence, we also encourage sustainability education to be investigated across the curriculum." Eco-Schools in Scotland The Scottish government also continues to fund the 'Eco-Schools' initiative, giving schools the chance to earn a Green Flag award which shows the schools commitment to 'Learning for Sustainability'. This is an international scheme, recognised in 74 countries around the world. "But, we are not complacent", they told me, "we will continue to engage widely with children and young people and with education partners from early years through to higher education and lifelong learning, to ensure our young people gain the knowledge, skills and competencies required to help conserve nature in Scotland and internationally." The response from Wales The Welsh government is already very proactive too in educating the country's children about nature. The STEM policy branch of the Education Directorate explained to me in great detail about the plan already in place for significant change, under the new Curriculum for Wales which commenced last September. Within the framework of the curriculum, the government allows great flexibility for teachers to meet the specific needs of children depending on their individual circumstances. I feel this is a really excellent approach to education generally. 'Spiritual development and well-being' in Welsh schools I particularly liked what they told me with regard to nature education; using carefully chosen and thoughtful words they said:- "Experiencing the wonder of the natural world can contribute to learners’ spiritual development and well-being, and can help to cultivate in them a sense of place and sense of belonging, as embodied in the Welsh word 'cynefin'*" Among the elements that focus on nature education, the Welsh government says:- "The world around us is full of living things which depend on each other for survival. By recognising the diversity of living things and how they interact with their environment, learners can develop an understanding of how these have evolved over significant periods of time." I think it is a particularly encouraging strategy from the Welsh government, it gives specific direction to educators who are then free to tailor the programme with great flexibility, allowing teachers with empathy and understanding to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with their pupils. Empowering children in Wales to take action But the Welsh government goes even further than this. They told me that:- "through two programmes, 'eco schools' and 'size of Wales', the Welsh Government are able to go further than the classroom and actively engage with children and young people with policy development and taking action, listening to their views and creating opportunities for them to have their voices heard. These programmes empower children to learn about climate change and the importance of forests and nature and to drive change, improve their environmental awareness and take action." Seems like Wales already has a brilliant system in place, one that other countries would do well to emulate. I do still maintain that the simple inclusion of a nature table in the primary school classroom would bring huge and long term benefits for both the pupils and the natural world. Though Scotland has not committed to this directly, the Welsh government has implemented a framework within which this and much more can take place. England and Northern Ireland - No Response I did not receive so much as an acknowledgement from the education ministers of either England or Northern Ireland. We know that the governments in Westminster and Stormont are in disarray - and it shows. Nevertheless, their silence speaks volumes, it shows a shocking ignorance and suggests a lack of interest in expanding the horizons of young people. The shambolic chaos and apathy at government level surely ripples through the schools system in both countries, to the detriment of children's' education. Scotland and Wales lead the way forward So, for those who live in Scotland and Wales, I think it is a time of hope for nature education. While neither country can boast a particularly impressive track record across the board for environmental protection, learning lessons and recognising the need to teach children about the natural world is key in the longer term, and both Scotland and Wales have each implemented a national curriculum that reflects this need. They understand the impact and influence a good education can have on the natural world and are actively encouraging teachers and children to share knowledge and enthusiasm for nature. England and Northern Ireland? Well who knows, it's anybody's guess. I'd love to hear from them but for now it seems they have nothing to say - and quite possibly nothing to offer. Which is a scandal. No wonder the UK as a whole has a deplorable environmental record, one that is worsening rapidly. * Cynefin is a complex Welsh word that describes the relationship between one's natural environment and relationship to that environment. 
4 Comments
Being of a certain age, I have found it terribly sad to see the destruction of nature in this country in my lifetime.
I've written often about growing up with nature all around me, and the delight and wonder I found in being a part of it all. Many of the species I remember from my childhood are, alas, all but gone now, in the wake of human desecration of natural habitats. There is a disconnection between people and nature that simply did not exist to the same extent fifty years ago. I have written before about my early schooling and the way in which nature formed a core component of my primary school education, encouraged by a wonderful teacher whose lessons enriched and informed my whole life. I know it was a similar story for many of my generation. Now as I see first hand, almost daily, the wanton destruction of nature, I feel anguish and pain. It is truly heartbreaking. These days, most people are aware of the importance of looking after nature and encouraging biodiversity, but few actually care enough to act. That is a truth we must acknowledge. No amount of messaging will influence those who are unmoved by the plight of the natural world. So I have concluded that, if we are to really make a difference, we must look to the youngest generation and break the cycle of ignorance by instilling in them the same love and respect for the natural world that we were privileged to have all those years ago and which has clearly been lost along the way. I have today written to the education ministers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, asking them to share my vision of establishing nature as a core subject to be taught in primary schools, including a plan to bring back the widespread use of nature tables to classrooms, along with teachers who will enthusiastically share their knowledge. This is what I wrote to them:- As a writer and campaigner on environmental matters, I am writing to you with an idea that I hope will inspire your interest and engagement. I'm sure you will agree that the state of our natural environment is at a critical point and that action to address the decline of nature is imperative if we are to repair the damage that has been done in recent years. It is with great sadness that I have witnessed in my lifetime a terrible decline in biodiversity in this country and a tragic disconnection between people and nature. While current efforts to encourage biodiversity are valuable, I believe that the single most important contribution to conserving nature would be to instill in the very youngest minds a love and respect for nature and the countryside. After all, it will be the next generation and those that follow who will have the task of securing the future survival of our natural world. And so it is so vital that today's children are taught to respect and appreciate nature from a very early age. Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, I was taught in school (from the age of three) about the importance of the natural world around me. Knowledge was shared with enthusiasm by educators who had genuine empathy and passion for nature. And because of this we grew up with a real respect for the natural world. These early lessons inspired wonder and delight in our young minds that turned into a lifelong fascination and appreciation of the flora and fauna with which we share this world. And this joy in discovering nature, if once again taught in schools, could be the single most valuable contribution to the future survival of our countryside and all the diverse species that still manage to survive in an increasingly hostile environment. The Vision So, I would like to see the subject of nature at the core of teaching in every primary school across the UK. It is a vision that I feel could be realised quite easily and it would be a powerful contribution to a better future, with wide ranging long term benefits. Nature Tables Initially I would like to see the reintroduction of nature tables in every primary school classroom. This idea has been mooted in recent years but I believe now is the time to act on it and bring back the nature table across the whole country. Some schools, Montessori establishments for example, have always recognised that nature is central to children's education. I believe it is imperative for mainstream education to follow this lead. I am contacting you along with other important decision makers across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to make this happen. I have already had early discussions with the MS for North Wales, Carolyn Thomas, who has agreed that nature study should be at the core of early learning education across Wales. This needs to come to fruition and also be introduced across the rest of the UK. I sincerely hope I can count on your active support in influencing policy for this initiative, and I look forward to hearing from you. I'll keep you posted about the responses I receive..... 
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