Education

Education Policy across the UK

Boy looking for beasties!

Without education, conservation of the natural world can only be a short-term, single-generation activity. Without mechanisms for creating and establishing conservation values, knowledge and skills amongst children, today's conservation efforts remain unsustainable.

Within this, first-hand experience of the natural world is an essential component of environmental education, and in turn developing a commitment to biodiversity conservation.

Despite diverse benefits, research over recent decades has shown a contraction in childhood experiences, with fewer opportunities for children to have first-hand experience of nature than previous generations.

Alongside providing diverse learning experiences through our Youth and Education Department, the RSPB believes that the devolved education administrations across the UK must acknowledge the critical role that learning in the natural environment plays in conserving the natural world (and the far-reaching additional benefits), and take direct action to ensure access for all.

Our UK policy vision is that every child and young person should have regular, quality, first-hand experiences of the natural environment.

To achieve this, in each country we will be asking for four key things:

Regular, quality, first-hand experiences of the natural environment embedded at the heart of all school curricula
Professional standards and training for teachers and school staff defined to ensure they are confident, competent and committed to deliver learning in the natural environment
Inspection of all schools' activities to provide every child and young person with regular, quality, first-hand experiences of the natural environment
Adequate funding and non-statutory support guidance (eg Health and Safety) must be made available

For more specific details of our education policy activities across the UK, please see the sections on the left.