Solon wants sustainable dev't, resilience studies included in K-12 curriculum

A lawmaker on Monday filed a measure seeking to incorporate Sustainability and Resiliency Studies (SRS) in the curriculum of the K-12 program to equip students with the knowledge on how to adapt to climate change and how to deal with natural disasters.

Agusan del Norte Representative Lawrence Fortun filed House Bill 5946, or the proposed Sustainability and Resiliency Studies Act, amid the possible hazardous explosion of Taal Volcano in Batangas.

According to the bill, the SRS will serve as the "fusion" of sustainability, disaster resilience, and climate change education.

"This dedicated course shall help foster a culture of sustainability among the Filipino youth to empower them to be our agents in building sustainable and resilient communities all over the country," the bill read.

Citing the Global Climate Risk Index 2019, Fortun said the Philippines ranks fifth among the countries highly affected by climate change in the past 20 years.

"As such, it is incumbent upon the State to be more active and assertive in increasing the resiliency of its citizens and transforming them to become its reliable partners and enablers for sustainable development," Fortun said in the explanatory note of his bill.

"One effective tool to realize sustainable development is through education. It is vital to cultivate in the minds of people, especially our young ones, a sustainable lifestyle and resilient character that will allow them to reach their full potential while moderately using resources and mitigating climate change," he added.

Under the measure, SRS will have an accumulated total student contact time allotment of at least one hour per week for elementary and secondary school students.

This course will be contained in modules incorporated in the Science, Social Studies, Values Education, and Health subjects of these students.

In Kindergarten, however, SRS will be integrated in the daily learning activities of the students.

At the same time, SRS will also be part of the training of student leaders and student councils.

The Department of Education is tasked to develop and offer a professional development course for SRS teachers. All SRS teachers will also be required to receive professional development necessary to make sure that the goals of the proposed measure will be met. —Erwin Colcol/KBK, GMA News