Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 1:29 pm on 16 June 2021.
Thank you for that response. I'm very eager that we address climate anxiety, which is affecting more and more schoolchildren. There is a danger that we as a society are causing this concern as a result of our approach to climate change in the media, but also in the classroom—talking about climate change as an inevitable crisis and a spectre of devastation on the horizon, come what may. And studies show that people who are overly concerned, or who suffer from anxiety about a subject, may think that they're less likely to do something about that situation. So, I'm keen to see more space in the curriculum, Minister, to discuss climate change, but for those discussions to focus on what we could do to change the situation and to empower children. And I would like to see more resources and support for teachers to recognise climate anxiety and deal with it. Is that something that you'd be willing to consider introducing for children and schools?