SNP quietly paused work on climate education scheme
The Scottish Greens have accused the SNP of backpedalling on climate education commitments after the party discovered that work had been quietly paused on a critical scheme.
The Learning for Sustainability action plan – introduced in 2023 under the Bute House Agreement – sought to embed learning about the climate crisis and social justice issues throughout Scotland’s curriculum and wider school experience.
While the Education Secretary insisted work was ongoing in a written question answered on July 22 this year, just days later officials from the Education Directorate briefed Mairi McAllan that Learning for Sustainability staff would focus on the Residential Outdoor Education Act instead.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that work on “engagement with practitioners, young people and local authorities; developing national and regional success indicators; and developing a new national policy framework for outdoor learning building on recommendations already received from the sector” will be “paused due to current capacity.”
Out of 36 agreed sub-action points, only 16 had been completed when this decision was made.
Scottish Greens Education spokesperson Laura Moodie MSP said:
“The Learning for Sustainability action plan was a major step forward for climate education when it was first announced just three years ago.
“It is disappointing to see the Scottish Government further backpedal on their climate commitments while trying to appear in public as if they are not.
“If we hadn’t discovered this through FOI, it may have gone unnoticed, as the Education Secretary was insisting there was ‘nothing to see here’ publicly.
“The Scottish Greens are supportive of the Residential Outdoor Education Act, but important work on climate education should continue alongside it, rather than putting one or the other.
“It is imperative that children in Scottish schools are well equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the scale of the climate crisis and how they can tackle it.
“Instead, the Scottish Government has paused work on engaging with teachers, local authorities and young people when half of the actions agreed as part of this plan have not been completed.
“This is extremely disappointing and I urge the Scottish Government to reconsider.”