The new natural history GCSE will help nurture care for the environment in young people, according to Catholic environmentalist and writer Mary Colwell, who spearheaded the campaign to introduce the new qualification.
The GCSE has been approved by the Department for Education and will be available from 2026. It is hoped it will not only broaden the curriculum but increase the understanding of species identification within young people. “A GCSE in natural history is a unique opportunity for young people to engage with wildlife in a structured, guided way, to learn the skills of a naturalist at a time when we need them more than ever,” said Colwell.
She was speaking at EA Sustain, an East Anglia festival in Colchester, where she was interviewed on a panel with Caroline Lucas MP and assessment expert Tim Oates on the subjects of education and nature titled, “How do we reframe education?”.
The audience heard that connecting young people to nature has never been so important, but the next generation isn’t being given ample opportunities to learn about the beauty, wonder, and interconnectedness of nature, or how humanity as a species depends on it. Colwell said the new GCSE in natural history will nurture environmental care in young people.
She told The Tablet on Monday: “The natural world today is a focus of angst about climate change, people see a planet in meltdown and feel helpless. But that isn’t the whole story. Planet earth is also a place of wonder, joy, enlightenment and wisdom. By focusing on the individual species around us we find ourselves part of the unfolding drama of life on earth, we enter the story and feel empowered to protect it. We must look to life on earth, as well as earth’s climate, to get a whole picture and to find again the joy of understanding and caring for nature. Doing what it takes to mitigate the climate crisis will be much easier.”
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