17 April 2013. Ambo, Kiribati- 6,000 copies of the children's story book "The Children Take Action – a Climate Change Story" were today handed over to the Permanent Secretary for Education for delivery to all primary schools in Kiribati. The Curriculum Development and Resource Centre (CDRC) will use the book to improve literacy skills in te-Kiribati and English. In addition, the story book will help children learn, in a very simplified way, the basics of climate change and its impacts on our environment. For example:
Jone didn't know what climate change was and asked his grandfather to explain. Grandpa told Jone that the Earth's temperature is becoming hotter. "My temperature gets hot when I am unwell," said Jone. "Yes!" said Grandpa. "The Earth is becoming unwell too. There is less food for the birds and the fish. That is why they are leaving our island." "What is making the Earth sick?" Jone asked. "We are," said Grandpa. "Gases from our cars, buses and factories are making the Earth too hot." "People are driving more cars and building more factories. So the Earth is getting hotter and hotter." "Just like putting too many blankets on me!" said Jone.
The story was developed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and 1500 copies were printed with funding from the Australian International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative. The book has since been translated into te-Kiribati and 6360 copies printed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)/Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region Programme (SPC/GIZ CCCPIR on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ).
The CDRC had identified "Children take action – A Climate Change Story" storybook as an ideal resource to accompany the new syllabus and teacher guides currently being developed for Kiribati primary schools. The new syllabus integrates key elements of climate change using education for sustainable development principles to work towards the nation's vision to "nurture our children and young people to become wise and worthwhile citizens able to adapt to, and participate in, their changing world".
"Kiribati and SPC/GIZ CCCPIR are setting a great example of optimising regional efforts," said SPREP's Communications and Outreach Adviser, Ms Seema Deo. "We are happy to see the story book in demand and we encourage more of this type of collaboration – adapting, translating and revising existing material will mean that we do not waste time duplicating work across the region."
Over the last two weeks the CDRC has consulted on the new syllabus on "Kiribati Community Studies" and "Environmental Science" for classes 3 and 4 with the Kiribati National Expert Group on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management (KNEG), representing all ministries and sectors.
The SPC/GIZ CCCPIR programme is supporting the syllabus consultations on education for sustainable development and climate change. The overall curriculum review is being supported under the Kiribati Education Improvement Programme (KEIP) of the Ministry of Education (supported by AusAID, UNESCO, UNICEF and NZAid).
Children take action - A Climate Change Story in te-Kiribati
Children take action - A Climate Change Story in English
For more information, please contact the Focal Point for Education on Climate Change within the Kiribati Ministry of Education, Ms Bibiana Bureimoa ([email protected]), Ms Seema Deo, SPREP Communications and Outreach Advisor, based in Apia ([email protected]) or Ms Hanna Sabass, the SPC/GIZ CCCPIR Advisor on Climate Change and Education, based in Suva ([email protected]).