Op-Ed: Teaching about climate change in NJ

Over the past year, New Jersey has experienced many impacts of climate change including extreme periods of drought, abnormally high sea-level rise, longer periods of wildfires, and widespread flooding.

Though sometimes devastating, these experiences are not surprising. In New Jersey, the effects of climate change are magnified relative to other parts of the U.S., and as a result, state policies and plans to mitigate and adapt to these changes have been ongoing.

One such policy has been the inclusion of climate change in the state’s learning standards across disciplinary subjects and grade levels, starting in 2022. Research suggests that comprehensive education about our changing climate ranks among the top solutions for reducing carbon emissions. New Jersey’s efforts to ensure our children are ready to innovate and build green solutions into the future has been given attention on the global stage. We serve as a model for educational excellence for other states and around the world.

This momentum must continue, and with a change in state leadership coming in November, it is critical that we hold the incoming governor accountable for continuing to build on this innovative foundation in climate change education.

Recent reports suggest that many of New Jersey’s gubernatorial hopefuls are committed to continuing many of the existing policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Just last month, at a discussion hosted by the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, four of the leading Democratic candidates and one Republican expressed commitment to building green energy and infrastructure in our state. However, regarding educational solutions to climate change, few candidates have been vocal. Though Democratic hopeful Sean Spiller has publicly commended New Jersey’s climate change standards in previous roles, they do not appear to be a part of any major candidate’s platform with regard to environment or education.

Continued focus on climate change education in New Jersey’s upcoming gubernatorial election is particularly important in these politically charged times. Recently, the Trump administration has claimed the U.S. education system “comes dead last” in education internationally. When making global comparisons about education systems, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam results are normally used to measure educational effectiveness.

The PISA assesses 15-year-olds from around the world on reading, mathematics and science. In the most recent PISA administration, the U.S. scored well above average. Overall, the U.S. ranks 18th among 81 comparison countries on this exam. When we consider science, the U.S. ranks 10th, suggesting that our nation’s education system is nowhere near as flawed as the Trump administration suggested.

While tests and test scores should never be the only yardstick for measuring success in education, they are one quantitative and important tool for comparison. The next administration of the PISA exam in 2025 will include shifts in focus to encompass scientific thinking in everyday life. In their recently released framework, PISA officials said, “When it comes to scientific information … all citizens need the competency to judge the credibility and value of the information that commonly surrounds any science-related issue.” Countries around the world are taking notice of this change and are preparing.

A recent article in The Guardian shared an Australian perspective on the importance of climate change education for civic engagement and scientific progress — and used the shift in the PISA’s science framework as a motivator for continuing to support climate change education.

New Jersey has already demonstrated that it is ahead of the curve globally when it comes to preparing our children for the future they’ll inherit. It is essential that whoever becomes our next governor should continue to build on this pattern of success.