The research project of the V4 countries aimed to examine how to effectively educate about the impact of humans on the climate, the relationship between humans and the Earth, and building climate awareness. It would be necessary to introduce climate-ecological education at all levels of education in schools. This was pointed out by a three-year research. Based on its results, changes to programs and methods of education were summarized, with an emphasis on the content standards of humanities-oriented subjects. The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports (MŠVVaŠ) of the Slovak Republic responded to TASR that it perceives the importance of environmental education and is incorporating climate-related topics into the state education program (ŠVP). The research project of the Visegrad countries entitled Humanities Education V4 for Climate aimed to examine how to effectively educate about the impact of humans on the climate, the relationship between humans and the Earth, and building climate awareness. “The weight of the research carried out in the project by an international team of university teachers, lower school teachers and experts, the scope of the impact and the results clearly point to the importance of the postulates and the necessity of their implementation at all stages and levels of education,” emphasized Zuzana Obertová from Comenius University (CU) in Bratislava. The research was carried out by the Interdisciplinary Center for Research in the Field of Humanities Education of the University of Silesia in Katowice together with partners from the V4 countries – from Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, CU in Bratislava, Palacký University in Olomouc and the National Polish School in Hungary (Budapest) from 2020 to 2023. The ministry explained that in addition to focusing on improving critical thinking, the changes will also include cross-cutting literacies. These include environmental literacy. Environmental topics will be integrated into the subjects of geography, civics, chemistry and biology. “Activities directly in nature, projects in the local community, own research or experiments on how to improve environmental protection. The reform of primary education will also bring these changes,” the ministry said. They also explained that secondary schools already have educational programs related to environmental education and climate education, which are incorporated into all state educational programs for individual types of secondary schools. They added that the incorporation of additional topics from the field of climate education, or rather the project’s recommendations, would have to be the subject of professional discussion. They see an opportunity in the use of development projects aimed at supporting and developing environmental education. As for teacher education, the National Institute of Education and Youth is implementing an innovative education program for teaching staff called Environmental Education in the 21st Century. It also includes topics about the Earth’s climate. “The content of the education program is the connection of the contents of various school subjects, the emphasis on practicality, the possibilities of increasing the interest of children and pupils in their surroundings, their education towards knowledge, behavior and action in accordance with the trends of sustainable development,” the ministry added. Source: TASR