What do you wish your school had taught you about climate change? — Assembly

Girls in El Salvador, India, Pakistan, South Africa and more share the steps they’re taking to address the climate crisis at home and in their communities.

“My school never taught me what climate change is, what are its root causes, why it’s important and how we can play a part in stopping it. Over the course of 12 years of education, I never learned that I could help address the climate crisis and make an impact in my community. I believe that educators need to teach 21st-century skills in the classrooms — such as digital literacy, personal development and social entrepreneurship to ensure that the next generation of future change-makers is ready to change the world. If students discover these skills, they could address the world's most pressing problems like climate change.”

— Amna, 15, Pakistan

“I wish my school had taught me the importance of climate change adaptation, not just what climate change is and what causes it. We need to learn what we can do to systematically fight it because there is more to climate change than just the basics we’ve learned. I also wish I had been taught about the issues that need to be addressed in the climate struggle, such as intersectionality, inclusivity and community-based climate education. To fight climate change, we must advocate for systemic change that urges climate justice. Schools need to integrate climate education across as many subjects as possible.”

— Angela, 18, South Africa

“I live in the southern part of India and it's really hard to get fresh water here. The seasons are changing and our farmers can't get enough water for cultivation. I wish I would have learned in school more about how companies are contributing to climate change and the effects I see in my community. Then I would never purchase anything from them.”

— Ashika, 16, India

“How pollution has affected the planet. I wish schools would help us make changes in our daily lives so our generation could help address climate change. If students learned how they're contributing to the climate crisis, then they will be encouraged to start making small changes that could help mitigate the effects of climate change. We are not the youth of tomorrow, we are the youth of today. Let’s make small changes to make a big positive impact for Earth, starting with better climate education.”

— Flavia, 18, El Salvador

“I learned in school about why climate change happens but I didn’t learn until much later that minorities bear the brunt of the human cost of climate change. Low-income communities and communities of color are typically exposed to more toxins, have a harder time rebounding from natural disasters (if they recover at all) and are the people who benefit the least from capitalism yet bear the greatest cost. I also wished that I learned that I could make a difference by lobbying and talking to my legislators (American politicians won’t do anything until they are told by their constituents to address an issue). Groups can also sue the government if they don’t fulfill sustainability goals, though I am only aware of a group in Germany being successful.”

— Charlotte, 18, U.S.

“Regrettably, all I ever learned about climate change was abstract concepts. I wish I was made aware about more than just a concept and learned practical ways to tackle the problem. It would have been of great help if my school would have emphasized more on the actions than theory of my environmental science book.”

— Kaushar, 18, India

“I wish I had learned that there is hope for the future and that climate is not just an environmental issue but in fact encompasses everything else. I wish my classes had taught that this is an opportunity for positive change — for both people and the planet — as long as we act now.”

— Tamsyn, 16, Australia