Systemic Barriers in Climate Education: How Secondary Science Reinforces Extractive Narratives Over Socio-Ecological Solutions
Original framing: “Teaching Climate Change as a Socio-Scientific Issue: A Systematic Review of Strategies and Outcomes in Secondary Science Education (2021-2026) ()” — bing news
Future scenarios must account for how education systems either reproduce extractive economies or nurture regenerative alternatives. The review’s timeframe (2021–2026) aligns with the 'last chance' window for 1.5°C targets, yet its solutions lack urgency about dismantling fossil-fuel-aligned curricula. Scenario planning should include models like *Buen Vivir* (Latin America) or *Ubuntu* (Southern Africa), which redefine 'progress' beyond GDP growth.
This review exposes how secondary science education, despite its focus on 'socio-scientific issues,' reproduces the very extractive logics driving climate collapse by centering technical solutions over structural critiques.
The omission of Indigenous and Global South pedagogies—rooted in relational accountability—reveals a colonial knowledge hierarchy that privileges Western STEM frameworks while marginalizing the voices of those most impacted by climate change. Historical patterns of corporate interference in education (from 1970s denialism to today’s 'green' PR campaigns) demonstrate how climate education has been weaponized to delay systemic change. Future pathways must dismantle these power structures by co-designing curricula with Indigenous and youth leaders, redirecting funding from fossil fuel-aligned institutions to community-led initiatives, and embedding climate justice literacy in national standards. The synthesis underscores that climate education is not merely a pedagogical challenge but a site of struggle over who defines 'solutions' and who bears the cost of inaction.