Backshall backs calls for natural history GCSE

4:08 AM ETDeveloping

Science Desk

In Short: Naturalist Steve Backshall and Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Lost Gardens of Heligan, have called for increased emphasis on nature education in schools, advocating for a new natural history GCSE.

Naturalist Steve Backshall and Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Lost Gardens of Heligan, have called for increased emphasis on nature education in schools, advocating for a new natural history GCSE. According to the BBC, this comes as the government is consulting on the proposed GCSE, which Sir Tim described as a 'seismic moment for British education.

A survey by Heligan, a garden in Cornwall, found that 55% of children had never climbed a tree, highlighting the gap in nature experience. Backshall, who hosted the Wild Heligan experience, emphasized the importance of nature education, stating, 'I see every day how nature revitalises, restores and fills people with joy.

The government believes the GCSE would equip young people with valuable skills for the workforce and potentially reduce the number of young people not in education, employment, or training. Backshall added, 'Young people who are engaged with nature will be happier, healthier and more likely to take on our planet's problems.

Sir Tim Smit, also a proponent of the GCSE, said, 'It is our responsibility to equip the next generation with the tools to protect nature so it doesn't become history.' He noted that while children have not lost interest in nature, they have lost opportunities to experience it.

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