Prime Highlights
· UNESCO-IOC has published a new policy brief urging the integration of ocean literacy into education systems around the world at the earliest.
· The brief is urging nations to rethink a more inclusive and equitable approach to ocean education towards solving climate and biodiversity challenges.
Key Facts
· Ocean literacy continues to be on the periphery of school curricula, still not having cultural and economic importance.
· The brief recommends curriculum change, additional teacher training, and accessible, locally relevant learning materials.
Key Background
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) has released a new policy brief calling for education systems across the globe to enhance ocean literacy. The action seeks to transform the perception of young people regarding the contribution of the ocean towards supporting life, controlling climate, and upholding livelihoods. It brings to the fore that education systems today are incapable of equipping students to face the growing environmental and socio-economic challenges around ocean health.
The policy brief discovers that while some of the curricula in education cover ocean issues, these are typically disconnected, cursory, or addressed only in environmental domains. This single focus does not recognize the wider relevance of the sea to culture, economy, innovation, and resilience of societies. In order to address this, the brief advocates for an integration of general ocean-related information into a number of different subject areas and all levels of education.
In order to make ocean literacy a reality, the policy prescribes four key steps: revising national curricula to incorporate multi-disciplinary and diverse ocean learning content; offering training and professional development for teachers; creating context-relevant learning materials that take local conditions into account; and engaging a range of stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and communities, to build enabling learning and advocacy conditions.
UNESCO-IOC officials stress that empowering students with ocean knowledge is key to ensuring sustainable attitudes and good decision-making. They contend that the development of ocean literacy is not just a scientific requirement, but cultural and civic as well. The policy brief is consistent with international efforts towards a better-sustainable relationship between humanity and the ocean with a shared vision of a future with educated citizens who shall engage actively in ocean stewardship and climate resilience.
