Survey suggests that 78pc of children under 12 spend time worrying about the environment
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“Eco-anxiety” affects almost four in five children under 12, research suggests.
New polling commissioned by Greenpeace has found teachers are unable to cope with the unprecedented number of pupils who report feeling worried about climate change.
The YouGov survey asked more than 600 children under 12 about their feelings towards global warming, finding 78 per cent were worried about the issue.
The firm also polled 505 primary school teachers and found that 70 per cent did not have enough time in the school day to help pupils with concerns about the environment.
The research from Greenpeace also suggested 82 per cent of teachers would find lesson plans and resources to support children with their worries useful.
To help both teachers and parents discuss the climate crisis with children, the campaign group has produced guidelines written by Caroline Hickman, a psychotherapist and self-described “leading researcher into eco-anxiety and climate psychology”.
Ms Hickman advocates a ruthless approach to the problem, warning that parents who shelter their children from truths about climate change could “put them at a disadvantage”, and that trying to protect children in this way “may not be feasible or helpful”.
“Homes torched by wildfires, flooded villages, people fleeing hurricanes – pictures of climate impacts are coming in thick and fast and our kids are watching,” she said.
“Our children will come of age during a climate crisis so building their emotional resilience is one way to prepare them. But we understand that this can be a challenge for parents and teachers, who already have a lot on their plate.”
Ms Hickman said the guides will give some simple tips on starting the conversation and striking the right balance between problems and solutions.
However, some academics and parents’ groups are concerned about the impact of potentially alarmist teaching, particularly on primary school-aged children.
Dr Alex Standish, an associate professor of geography education at University College London, has previously advocated for a more constructive approach.
In 2023, he advised against reflecting “catastrophising narratives” of climate change, suggesting schools should instead “provide children with perspective on global warming and offer them positive ways forwards”.
Climate change is part of England’s secondary school curriculum, but research shows most teachers discuss it across all age groups, with some using materials shared by campaign groups like Greenpeace.
A 2021 survey of 600 teachers found strong support for an “action-based” climate curriculum, covering global social justice and conservation projects like tree planting.
Local campaigning was seen as suitable for older primary pupils, while most teachers backed teaching civil disobedience and protest in secondary schools, according to research published in the Journal of Environmental Education Research.
The National Education Union has also issued guidance on declaring a climate emergency in schools.
Written by a London secondary school teacher, it calls for climate change to be embedded throughout the curriculum to ensure future generations leave school “hyper-aware” of the crisis.
“This will empower young people to pressure governments and businesses to act and we hope many young people might be inspired to enter careers combating ecological degradation and global warming,” the guide states.
Eco-anxiety appears to increase as children age. A major global poll from 2021 found that half of young people believed that humanity was “doomed” as a result of climate change.
Co-ordinated by Bath University, the project surveyed 10,000 people aged 16-25 across 10 countries, finding nearly 60 per cent felt very worried or extremely worried about the issue, with almost half (45 per cent) saying these anxieties affected their daily lives.
According to Greenpeace UK’s executive director Areeba Hamid, the role of education is to prepare children emotionally for the role climate change will play in their lives.
She said: “Children hear frightening information about our changing climate from many different sources.
“Helping them to make sense of it all, and emotionally preparing them for the big role climate change will play in their lives, can be a challenge for parents.
“The reality is that the climate crisis will be one of the major forces shaping the world they’ll grow up in, and it’s good to give them the tools they need to make sense of it.”
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