Strong public support for nuclear disarmament education, new poll shows
With the Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight, and anxiety about nuclear war running high, new evidence is to be presented in parliament of strong public support for more education on nuclear weapons.
Alongside the findings of a YouGov poll, a new survey from the Nuclear Education Trust shows that 93 per cent of teachers do not agree that nuclear disarmament education is too political to be taught.
Most teachers believe students should learn about the humanitarian consequences of using nuclear weapons, the Survey of Nuclear Disarmament Education found.
These findings will be discussed at a launch event in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 6 December.
Speakers include Fabian Hamilton MP, shadow minister for peace and disarmament, Jenny Clegg, Nuclear Education Trust trustee, Helen Griffin, Quaker and peace education officer at CND, and Ellis Brooks, peace education co-ordinator for Quakers in Britain.
Peers, MPs, academics and think tanks will join peace education and advocacy practitioners to look at the role of education, especially in schools, in a time of increasing nuclear tension and public concern.
The survey recommends that schools, trusts and education authorities should ensure funding is available to train teachers in nuclear disarmament and peace education, and that student teachers should receive this training early in their careers.
The roundtable will examine the benefits of more understanding of diplomacy and nuclear disarmament when Vladimir Putin's recent nuclear threats have caused fear that so-called 'tactical' nuclear weapons could be used in Ukraine.
It will also examine how to develop and deliver nuclear education in these circumstances.
The importance of disarmament education was highlighted by the UN Secretary-General in 2018 and is further strengthened by the UK Government's commitment to sustainable development goals, which include promoting 'peaceful and inclusive societies'.
Paul Parker, recording clerk of Quakers in Britain, said: “Teaching children about the impact of nuclear weapons is vital if we are to continue to prevent their use.
“War represents our failure to resolve our differences by peaceful and amicable means; teaching children listening skills, non-violent resolution of conflict, mediation and respect for difference lays the groundwork for a peaceful, just society."
Quakers in Britain are working with the Peace Education Network on a 'Teach Peace Secondary' resource, which will include a nuclear lesson from Scientists for Global Responsibility.
They laid out the case for Peace Education in "Peace at the heart: a relational approach to education in British schools" (May 2022) (read here).