Learning About Climate Change at School Will Now Become Mandatory

Climate change will now be taught in Connecticut, the United States, across all its public schools so students can learn the ins and outs of the environmental and societal challenges ahead.

“A lot of poorer communities weren’t being taught this, and that’s really a travesty, because people of color and people in cities are more affected by climate change,” explains bill advocate Rep. Christine Palm. “For me, it was a matter of environmental justice.” 

Close to 90% of public schools already teach climate change in Connecticut, and the remainder will have to conform to the accepted science by July 2023. Students will learn how climate is changing, how humans are directly responsible, how it impacts the population, what has been done to prevent it, and how much will it cost to make the required changes to curb global warming – and to stay idle. The Next Generation Scientific Standards – outlining the level of scientific literacy students should have – is followed by 20 states and the District of Columbia, and Connecticut is among the first American states to make it mandatory to teach climate change.