DepEd assures climate change education in curriculum
With the disruptions brought about by changes in the environment to education, the Department of Education assured that it continues to respond to the call for stronger climate change education in the curriculum for basic education.
DepEd said that key disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change action (CCA) concepts are currently integrated from kinder to junior high school particularly in subject areas such as Health, Science, Araling Panlipunan, and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao.
Aside from curriculum integration, the DepEd also implements various programs such as “Gulayan sa Paaralan” and “Schools in a Garden.”
Moreover, DepEd said it also partakes in the Expanded National Greening Program of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DepEd, through the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), is also continuously working to strengthen the integration of climate change in the curriculum, co-curricular activities, and other policies of the agency.
The DRRMS also leads in empowering learners, personnel, schools, and DepEd offices in ensuring safety and learning continuity; institutionalizing Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Climate Change Adaptation, and Education-in-Emergencies; and strengthening the resilience of the education sector in the context of natural and human-induced hazards, including armed conflict.
In line with these efforts, DepEd endorsed the observance of the “National Day for Youth in Climate Action” and the “ASEAN Youth in Climate Action and Disaster Resilience” on Nov. 25.
DepEd said that all public and private elementary and secondary schools, including schools district and division offices (SDOs) and regional offices (ROs), are enjoined to initiate activities in observance of these activities in partnership with the National Youth Commission (NYC).
DepEd is hosting the National Climate Change Conference (NCCC) online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now on in its fourth year, the 2020 NCCC is being conducted through a series of learning sessions live-streamed at the DepEd Philippines Facebook page from Nov. 19 to 25.
With the theme “Alpas: Channeling youth eco-anxiety to climate action,” this year’s NCCC “aims to elevate the discussion of the impacts of climate change on mental health and the actions that can be done to make meaningful change.”