Democrats are prioritizing climate literacy and climate conscious policies in public schools despite the fact that educational institutions across the country have failed to perform their basic functions, like teaching children to read and write.
The Daily Caller reports:
The party’s education platform mentions the importance of “climate literacy” for American K-12 students several times, emphasizing the purported need for students to be able to understand and interpret information relating to climate change. Meanwhile, the average reading score for both fourth and eighth grade students in 2022 had fallen by three points relative to 2019, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The platform states, “We will equip students with the knowledge and skills to understand complex scientific issues, counter the rising tide of denialism by promoting environmental and climate literacy, and reverse the Trump Administration’s cuts to the National Environmental Education Act.”
Critics have accused the Democrats of prioritizing their ideological agenda over effectively preparing students to participate in society.
They also expressed disapproval of “climate literacy” as a concept or making it a key component of curriculum, likening it to Critical Race Theory and other Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives — arguing that it’s teaching children what to think instead of offering the critical thinking skills that young, developing minds need. Despite being presented as a scientific fact, climate change is a widely disputed theory with plenty of evidence opposing it.
The Daily Caller continues:
In 2022, Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s Department of Health released a five-part climate curriculum for students that suggested it may be best for students to rely on “emotions” rather than “rational thinking” when engaging with climate change-related subject matter.
NAEP data “consistently” demonstrates that about two in every three American students cannot read proficiently, and about 40% of all students are effectively non-readers, according to an analysis published by Scientific American in September 2023.
The problem was exacerbated dramatically following the COVID era school closures, championed and prolonged primarily by Democrats. The pandemic inspired “virtual learning” practice led to the largest drop off in student competency in three decades.
Progressives have repeatedly complained of underfunded public schools, but have revealed plans to spend on items like electric school buses, raising questions and frustrations from constituents that believe the money would be better spent on projects that can tangibly improve educational outcomes.
The Daily Caller explains:
For example, the Biden-Harris administration is spending big to replace existing school bus fleets with electric models in order to bring down emissions and fight climate change. While Vice President Kamala Harris has promoted the program as beneficial for students, it could end up lining the pockets of Chinese manufacturers and is potentially susceptible to waste, fraud and abuse, according to reports by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of the Inspector General.
