Climate change is having a disproportionate impact on rural schools across Scotland and is affecting the safety, wellbeing and the ability of schools to operate, teachers are warning.
Rural schools are being directly impacted by the growing risk of wildfires, more intense rainfall and hotter summers.
Teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union are calling for the introduction of climate resilience planning in schools and investment in school buildings to help them withstand the impact of a changing climate. They will debate the issue at NASUWT Scotland’s Annual Conference, taking place this coming Friday and Saturday in Clydebank.
Derrick Roberts, a teacher from the Highlands and incoming NASUWT Scotland President, will argue that rural schools need greater support to address climate change as he makes his presidential address to the conference on Friday.
He will say: “Those of us working in rural areas are beginning to see the effects of a changing climate more directly. We are experiencing more erratic weather patterns, hotter and drier summers, periods of intense rainfall, and in some areas a growing risk of wildfires affecting surrounding land and communities.
“For rural schools these are not distant environmental concerns. They are practical issues that affect safety, wellbeing and the ability of schools to operate.
“Wildfires, for example, can threaten nearby woodland and farmland, affect air quality for pupils and staff, and disrupt communities that rely on already fragile infrastructure. More broadly, extreme weather events can damage school buildings, disrupt transport routes and place additional pressure on already stretched public services.”
He will add that schools need greater support to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to the transition to a low-carbon economy.
He will say: “We should be advocating for proper climate resilience planning in schools, including clear guidance on responding to extreme weather events, wildfire risks and poor air quality.
“We should be campaigning for investment in school buildings so that they are safe, energy efficient and fit for the challenges of a changing climate.
“And we should ensure that teachers have the support, resources and professional confidence to help young people understand the environmental challenges they will face and the solutions they can help create.”
