Province incorporates environmental issues into Ontario school curriculum

The Ontario government is hoping to help develop more environmentally-conscious kids by making some green additions to the school curriculum.

Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced recently all Ontario students will be learning more about environmental issues in the classroom by January 2008.

"We need to prepare tomorrow's leaders to tackle environmental issues," said Wynne in a news release.

"That's why we're giving them better environmental education at every grade level."

The government was prompted to make the changes following a report from the Curriculum Council and the Working Group on Environmental Education.

"I'm pleased that the government is acting immediately on our group's recommendations," said scientist and astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar, chair of the Working Group on Environmental Education.

"Ontario is taking important steps to help more students understand that their local actions affect the global community today and for generations to come."

To put into action the Working Group’s recommendations, which includes giving teachers better resources to help teach students about the environment, the government says it will do the following:

• integrate environmental education into all subjects in all grades
• develop a new optional Grade 11 course focused on environmental education
• increase experiential learning opportunities for students
  create and publish an environmental education policy by the fall
• work more closely with community partners and other government ministries to enhance environmental education
• establish environmental education standards to apply to current and future reviews of curriculum

The Working Group's report, Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future, is available on the ministry website.

Environment Minister Laurel Broten said shaping more environmentally-conscious minds has to start now.

"It is vital to the future of our great province, that our next generation of community leaders and global citizens has a strong understanding of the environment, climate change and the importance of conservation," said Broten.

"Students in particular, are demanding more knowledge, better alternatives and concrete actions. They also want to help make a difference."