Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 71
71
To increase education on biodiversity we: a) Support the establishment of a Natural History GCSE;...
Conclusion
To increase education on biodiversity we: a) Support the establishment of a Natural History GCSE; b) Recommend the Department for Education re-evaluate the opportunities for nature visits and teaching outside, as part of its support to schools recovering from the education impacts of covid-19; c) Recommend the Department for Education and Defra work together to get school children involved in the Government’s afforestation project; d) Recommend Government emphasise its leadership in increasing knowledge and recognition of the importance and value of nature by requiring every Permanent Secretary across Government and every civil servant and Minister in the HM Treasury to undertake a basic ecology briefing as part of mandatory induction; e) Recommend the Government explore setting up a biodiversity education charter to increase knowledge of biodiversity risk within the finance sector. (Paragraph 342) Appendices Frog peeking out of watering can. Photo: Tony Bond 128 Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust?
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
(31a) The Department for Education (DfE) is exploring the option of introducing a new GCSE in Natural History after receiving a proposal from exam board OCR. Initial discussions with OCR have taken place. DfE, and Ofqual, will determine whether the proposal meets all the necessary conditions to sit alongside our rigorous suite of reformed GCSE qualifications. We have made no commitment to introduce the GCSE at this stage. In the immediate future the qualifications team at DfE and colleagues at Ofqual are focusing their efforts on ensuring that all students are able to be assessed fairly this summer and on planning for a return to exams in 2022. (31b) DfE recognises the significant benefits that learning outside the classroom can have for children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as their educational and social development. We are committed to ensuring that no child or young person loses out because of the pandemic. We have worked to ensure that our outdoor education centres were included as part of the lifting of restrictions so that children are now able to access those outdoor education centres residentially as well as for day visits. Enrichment activities that give pupils the opportunity to develop their intellectual, emotional, personal, and social skills can support well-being and success both in and outside of the classroom, nurturing a feeling of belonging and sense of purpose. The Government’s support for education recovery targets both academic and extra-curricular activities.