Accra: Dr. Samuel Cornelius Nyarko, the Principal Investigator for the Climate Change and Health Project, has called for greater investment in climate change education, warning that misconceptions among teachers and students could undermine efforts to address the growing environmental crisis. He highlighted research findings indicating prevalent misconceptions among teachers and students in Ghana, despite a general awareness of climate change.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Nyarko shared these insights during a 3-day Climate Change and Health Education Professional Development Workshop in Accra. The workshop brought together 61 professional teachers from Senior Secondary Schools across the country. Dr. Nyarko emphasized that some teachers incorrectly associated climate change with ozone depletion and diseases like cataracts, illustrating the significant gaps in understanding climate-related concepts.
To tackle these misconceptions, researchers collaborated with representatives from the education and health sectors to develop a curriculum aimed at enhancing teachers' understanding of climate change and improving their ability to teach it effectively. Despite government investments in climate mitigation, Dr. Nyarko noted the lack of attention to climate education and teacher training, stating, "Not even a dollar has been invested in training teachers to effectively teach climate change."
Dr. Nyarko urged the government to allocate more resources towards climate education and integrate environmental science, earth science, and geoscience into the basic school curriculum. He criticized the current climate-related content taught from primary school to junior high school as inadequate for preparing students for emerging environmental challenges. He also highlighted the potential of Ghana's trained professionals, such as geology students from the University of Ghana, to support these educational reforms.
Additionally, Dr. Nyarko pointed to increasing floods, coastal erosion in areas like Keta, and rising heat levels as evidence of climate change impacts already affecting communities in Ghana. He called for greater recognition and support for teachers, describing them as key actors in climate awareness and education.
Dr. Abigail Mercy Opong Tetteh, the Programme Manager for Indiana University Ghana Gateway, stressed the importance of equipping teachers with practical knowledge on climate change to improve education in schools. She explained that one of the key objectives of the Ghana Gateway office was to support faculty development and research initiatives connecting Ghanaian institutions with global academic expertise.
She noted that the workshop aimed to bridge the gap between public discussions on climate change and the content taught in schools. Dr. Opong Tetteh highlighted that the training curriculum was developed within the Ghanaian educational context, ensuring its relevance. She also mentioned that the facilitators for the workshop were predominantly Ghanaian experts from institutions like the Water Research Institute and the Ghana Education Service.
Dr. Opong Tetteh expressed optimism that the training would enable teachers to effectively transfer climate knowledge to students and strengthen climate awareness at the community level.