Schoolchildren demand ‘compulsory’ climate education

Harry Cockburn reports on a new campaign designed to help young people get to grips with the extent of the climate crisis

Schools across nine regions in the UK will take part in a scheme to bring in greater focus on climate science (Getty)

Secondary school children in the UK are among those demanding new mandatory teaching – complete with exams – on climate science.

Ahead of the UN’s Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow in November, a student-led movement running across 20 countries is calling for lessons including up-to-date climate science which reflects the urgency of the crisis.

The campaign, called “Teach the Teacher”, will also see students around the world swap places with their teachers in October in which they will centre “lessons” on climate science.