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The world is facing an unprecedented emergency. From economic upheavals to environmental disasters, we see one crisis after another impacting our global systems—and education is no exception. The shoe of traditional education no longer fits. Our outdated frameworks and curricula are inadequate for addressing the cascading and compounding risks that define our times. As a researcher, educator and policymaker on meteorology, I focus on climate change.
Education must evolve, including to encompass extended learning and development. It is not enough to treat climate change as another subject to wedge into an already crowded curriculum. Instead, we need a transformative approach that uses the lived experiences of students, teachers, and communities as a foundation for learning. This shift demands that we think differently about what education can and should be.
Students are already experiencing the effects of climate crises firsthand. For example, natural disasters are now among the primary reasons for school closures in many regions, leaving students grappling with disruptions that profoundly affect their lives. For example, according to a UNICEF study based on year 2020 data 76% of children under 18 (some 460 million) were exposed to temperatures above 350C for 83 days. In Bangladesh school closures due to a heatwave in May 2024 affected some 30 million learners when primary school were forced to close to protect children from heatstroke and other health perils associated with extreme temperatures. According to the same report 2.2 billion children (1 in 3) will be exposed to heatwaves globally by 2050. With 2024 being the warmest year on record according to the Copernicus Climate Service, and the planet having reached the 1.50C warming mark set as a global benchmark to prevent catastrophic tipping points for the environment, the earth system and life as we know it on the planet the climate crisis is only going to get worse as will its disruptive effects on the education system..
The lived experiences of children and young adults worldwide provide an opportunity to rethink the purpose of education. Imagine a classroom where students analyse their vulnerabilities in general and climate-induced ones specifically, assess risks to their person, households and their communities, and propose solutions to the challenges they face. Education should empower young people to become problem solvers and agents of change, equipping them with the skills and consciousness needed to adapt and thrive. This includes fostering resilience, promoting teamwork, and cultivating a sense of responsibility for building back better.
But are we addressing the diverse needs of learners, especially in the developing world? The urban-rural divide remains a significant barrier in many places, particularly in countries like South Africa. In rural areas, young girls and women often bear the brunt of climate change’s effects. In most communities they still fetch water, gather energy resources like biomass often far from their households, and tend to the fields in heatwaves, during droughts and other extreme weather events amplifying food insecurity, taking on additional burdens while facing systemic inequities. This context highlights the urgent need to teach resilience and adaptability, not as abstract concepts, but as practical, life-saving skills in a fast-changing climate.
We must also acknowledge the power of extended learning ecosystems. Programs that bridge formal and informal education are vital for equipping students with the tools they need to navigate a world of interconnected crises. These ecosystems are fertile ground for fostering the critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership skills that students need to succeed. Some schools in South Africa have introduced sustainability programs in their curriculum that incorporate experiential learning, upcycling projects that build on reuse and recycle principles, community clean-up projects with a holistic ecosystems approach rather than only a narrow conservation approach. In addition, a learning program for Secondary Educator Teacher program on Sustainability was initiated in Southern Africa as part of the UNESCO Global Action Program on education for sustainable development.
The challenges we face are immense, but so are the opportunities. By integrating the realities of our world into the heart of education, we can ensure that learners are not just reacting to crises but actively shaping solutions. It is time to rethink education—not as a series of lessons confined to four walls, but as a dynamic, responsive system that empowers students to confront the complexities of the modern world.
Education must rise to meet this moment. The stakes are high, but the potential for transformation is even greater. Let us seize this opportunity to build a more resilient, informed, and empowered generation. The time for extended education interventions is NOW.
The Global Extended Learning and Youth Development Association (GELYDA)
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