A new GCSE could soon help teenagers across the country reconnect with nature and wildlife in a bid to enthuse the conservationists of the future.
As well as learning the names and characteristics of British plants and animals, the GCSE would also see children get outside to do hands-on research, observations and investigations. The qualification is the brainchild of producer and writer Mary Colwell, who is concerned that children become increasingly disconnected with nature as they get older.
‘Young children are innately fascinated by nature,’ she explains. ‘That is lost as they grow, especially in the teen years.’
Having campaigned for a decade, she believes the GCSE is one step towards creating a nature literate society, vital for our future and the future of the natural world.
‘For too long we have ignored the study of nature, or regarded it as niche or quaint, rather than absolutely essential for our health, wealth, wellbeing and spiritual nourishment,’ she adds.
Boosted by support from concerned parents, teachers and high profile conservationists like Eden Project creator Tim Smit and TV’s Chris Packham, the OCR (an awarding body for GCSEs) has now submitted a proposal to the Government outlining the new natural history qualification.
‘We think there's a gap in the curriculum that isn't encouraging a connection with the natural world,’ says Jill Duffy, CEO of the OCR. ‘At the same time, we know that young people are very much engaged in the debate on the environment and they understand what their role should be and could be in protecting for the future.’
If the Government agrees, the new GCSE would be an option, rather than a core subject. It is hoped to enable a generation inspired by Greta Thunberg to make wise and informed decisions about how to protect all of life on earth.
‘Young people are now hungry for information about the world they live in,’ believes Colwell. ‘TV documentaries, Extinction Rebellion and the increasingly bad news about climate change and loss of biodiversity is really hitting home and young people want to know how to tackle it. If we don’t teach nature in schools, we will not have the decision makers the future will demand as we face increasing problems.’
Nature and children are natural playmates; they’re both wild and messy, unpredictable and beautiful. Mark Hoelterhoff
The demand certainly seems to be there, with 94 per cent of young people consulted saying they would like or would have liked the option to study natural history. Ardent proponent Tim Smit was on the advisory group for the new GCSE and believes it is a vital step towards getting future generations ready to protect the planet. ‘If I was going to be put to death tomorrow and could change one thing it would be that natural history was taught in schools from five to 19,’ he says. ‘Then people would not do the damage to the planet they do now.’
An influential panel of MPs on the government’s environmental audit committee (EAC) has since listed a GCSE in natural history as one of its recommendations to halt the catastrophic decline in wildlife. “For biodiversity to be protected, it has to be valued. This starts with education. We support the establishment of a natural history GCSE,” they wrote.
If adopted, the new GCSE could be taught in schools in England from 2024, although the Government's decision on whether to back the new GCSE has been delayed due to the Covid pandemic, but it is expected soon. The consultation period with the public may be over, but as we wait for the Government's assessment, Colwell says there are still ways to help if parents want to see natural history as an option for their children in the future.
‘Write to MPs, write letters to papers, write to the education secretary, keep the conversation alive and vibrant,’ she urges. ‘Show that there is a demand.’
