As you must know, Mr. Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, environmental issues are very little addressed throughout the schooling of young people, from preschool to the end of secondary school, even though these are essential subjects. .
It is with this observation that the Environmental Issues Education Committee was formed a year ago to begin a consultation with young people from the fifth year of elementary school to college.
The result is clear: a review of the school curriculum must be initiated, starting with a review of the science and technology curriculum, in order to update certain content addressing the issues studied and confirmed by the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on the Evolution of the climate (IPCC), whether it concerns, for example, climate change, loss of biodiversity, ocean health or air quality.
We believe that these changes must be prescriptive at all levels of education. This observation is made by 1580 pupils and students. This is 70.3% of students surveyed in elementary school, 59.6% in secondary school and 70% in college. They all think that schools should offer more lessons on environmental issues.
In addition, we observe that a significant number of respondents say they feel anxious about these questions. Nearly 70.1% in elementary school, 72.7% in secondary school and 96.8% in college say they feel worried. They also perceive a lack of information and tools to manage these feelings. It must therefore be deduced that the current lack of training will, in the long term, only worsen the level of anxiety among the population, and the feeling of powerlessness that often accompanies it.
You know it as we do, Minister: there is an urgent need to act. And it is in this context that we share these results with you. We believe that it is essential to revise the science and technology curriculum, from preschool to the last year of secondary school. Our committee has thought about solutions, and that is why it seems important to us to meet with you to discuss these results and the education offered to young Quebecers.