Why climate education should be part of our national curriculum

The United Nations has been clear, The last eight years have been the hottest on record globally.

This staggering reality is not lost on our children. As an educator, I witness their subtle anxiety every day, expressed through questions like: "Why is it so hot?" and "Why did the flood ruin my uncle’s house?"

These are not casual questions. They are children grappling with the new, harsh reality of their lives.

The time for debating climate change is over. We are living through it.

Every summer seems to break the record of the last. Devastating floods, such as those that affected more than 33 million people in Pakistan this year, are now a seasonal expectation. At the same time, parts of Europe saw temperatures cross 40 degrees Celsius for the first time.

This is not bad luck. It is accelerating climate change, driven by human activity: burning fossil fuels, deforestation and pollution.

The issue isn't about distant glaciers. It is about our daily survival: the quality of the air we breathe, the stability of our food supply and the safety of our families. When floods wipe out crops, food prices jump. When heatwaves intensify, outdoor play becomes dangerous. Climate change is a local, public health and economic emergency.

Currently, most schools only touch on climate change in Science or Geography classes. But this coverage is typically superficial. It stops at defining the problem and fails entirely to teach students what to do about it.

This is a failure of responsibility. We need to move past defining the crisis and start actively preparing students to be critical thinkers and contributors to the solutions.

We urgently need a formal, standalone curriculum for climate change built around action, not just memorization.

Imagine a generation of students who graduate knowing:

• How to conserve water and electricity to save resources and money.
• The local environmental impact of reducing plastic and household waste.
• The effective ways planting trees can cool their neighborhood and mitigate flood risk.
• How their everyday choices about energy, finance and consumption are globally connected.

This would not be another subject; it would be a manual for navigating the world they are about to inherit. By focusing on climate education now, we give the next generation the skills to adapt, innovate and lead.

The students in our classrooms today are tomorrow's policymakers, business leaders and parents. The choices they make will determine whether society moves toward a sustainable future or further destruction.

By prioritizing this education, we equip them to act responsibly. More importantly, we give them hope. We show them they don't have to be passive victims of the crisis; they can be powerful agents of change.

Climate change is the great challenge of our time. Let’s use it as an opportunity to teach responsibility, empathy and courage.

I believe, unequivocally, that climate change must be formally integrated into our national school curriculum.

We must stop limiting ourselves to raising awareness. We must give our students the tools and knowledge to act—to save water, reduce waste, plant trees and advocate for the planet.

This is not an abstract debate. It is a fundamental choice about our children’s survival, right here in Pakistan. If we act now, we can prepare them to build a cleaner, safer and healthier world.

Let us, as parents and educators, support this critical curriculum change. Our children are ready to learn and act. It is our responsibility to give them the right education.

Climate change is not just another subject; it is the fundamental reality of their future.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or editorial policy of Pakistan TV Digital.

The writer, an educationist with over 26 years of experience, is the founder of P.E.A.K.S School Islamabad.