Education course has potential to shed light on UK food production, says CLA
CLA says schoolchildren should be taught about the leading role farmers play in fighting climate change and nature decline
Today, the Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi MP, will be announcing a new GCSE in Natural History. This new secondary education course forms a part of the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which is being launched on 21 April.
The Department for Education says that this new course will help “young people develop excellent knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) and practical opportunities to improve biodiversity and climate resilience.”
In light of this, the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) has written to the Secretary of State to highlight the importance of land management in the UK when considering the development of the syllabus for the new learning course.
CLA President, Mark Tufnell hailed the introduction of this new initiative, by saying: “The CLA welcomes the idea of teaching young people about environmental and sustainability issues in a more structured way.”
The CLA welcomes the idea of teaching young people about environmental and sustainability issues in a more structured way.
“We hope that, in designing the course, the Department for Education will consider giving students an understanding of the UK’s world class food production standards. British landowners and farmers are among the most progressive stewards of the natural environment found anywhere in the world.”
Mark continues by urging policymakers to involve the sector in consultations by adding: “We hope therefore that land managers with appropriate expertise will be involved in the formulation of the curriculum. The CLA, which represents around 28,000 land managers in England and Wales, would welcome the opportunity to work with the Government in the development of this exciting new initiative.”