Academics call for urgent climate curriculum reform at 2026 Climate Health and Education Conference

Academics called for stronger integration of climate education into the national curriculum at the 2026 Climate Health and Education Conference held at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Ghana. The conference was jointly organised by the University of Ghana, the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), and KNUST in partnership with Indiana University. Samuel Nyarko, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Indiana University Indianapolis, raised concerns over persistent misconceptions about climate change among educators and students.

Dr. Nyarko said studies conducted over the past five years showed that although many teachers have a good understanding of climate issues, significant gaps and misconceptions still remain. He said, "In the past five years, we've been conducting a series of research looking at the ideas and knowledge that teachers and university students in Ghana have about climate change," and "We found that while a lot of them have very good knowledge about climate change, there also exist a lot of misconceptions and wrong ideas." He also stated, "Of the $12 billion that they've spent on climate mitigation in Ghana, I tell you, not even a dollar has been put into training teachers to effectively teach climate change." Dr. Abigail Mecry Opong Tetteh, Program Manager of Indiana University Ghana Gateway, highlighted the importance of bridging global expertise with local realities through teacher-focused training.

Dr. Opong Tetteh explained that the programme is designed to empower educators across the country, not just in Accra, but in all regions. She said, "We always talk about climate change in conferences and workshops, but we do not involve teachers. Now the gap is that there's a disconnect between what we hear on the radio and what teachers teach in the classroom." She added that the impact would extend beyond the 61 participating teachers, who were selected from across the country. **Dr. Benjamin Darko Asamoah