Climate change and sustainable development education in Egypt

The UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education presents the launch of their report with this in-person policy roundtable on climate change and sustainable development education in Egypt.

We will share the significant findings from our British Academy-funded research with primary school girls and their teachers in Alexandria, and consider the implications for policy and practice across Egypt. 

This will be a rare opportunity for academics, policymakers and educational stakeholders to discuss the complexity and opportunities for climate change and sustainable development education in Egypt and the broader Middle East and North African region. 

Egypt’s coastal/Nile Delta cities are among the most environmentally precarious in the world; however, what little evidence there is suggests that Egyptians’ understanding of how to act on climate change is limited. 

Of particular concern is that little is known about the understanding amongst girls in primary-schools, and these are the people who will bear the greatest brunt of climate change. Through face-to-face and online surveys, and interviews, our research investigated the perspectives of 501 girls in Alexandria. We explored their knowledge and understanding of climate change, their experiences of education in relation to climate change and sustainable development, and their sense of empowerment for climate action. 

We also surveyed 738 primary school teachers to learn about their perceptions of climate change and sustainable development education and professional development needs. Our findings provide important insights into the state of climate change and sustainable development education within Egypt; and how these approaches are received by their practitioners.   

The event will include: 

• a presentation of research findings by Professor Eleanore Hargreaves and Dr Dalia Elhawary;
• a panel discussion to consider their implications for policy and textbook development, teacher education and classroom practice, with panellists:
  • Amr Ramadan Hassan (Egypt representative on the Arab Youth Council for Climate Change),
  • Dr Chris Berry (FCDO),
  • Professor Elaine Unterhalter (Centre for Education and International Development, UCL),
  • and, Christine Ozden (Global Director for Climate Crisis Education, Cambridge University Press and Assessment);
• and, an opportunity for networking. 

We would be delighted if you could join us for these important conversations. 

Links

• Project page: Climate action and sustainability for schooling in Egypt (CLASS)

Image

D’ashley Wilson via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.