Leading environmentalists have called on the government to introduce a natural history GCSE immediately, amid fears it could be postponed until 2030.
The previous Conservative administration had supported creating the GCSE, which would teach pupils how to observe, identify and classify plants and animals.
However, campaigners have claimed the plans had been shelved by Labour because the qualification was seen as a “Tory initiative”.
In a letter to the Times, leading environmentalists – including the conservation campaigner Mary Colwell, the former Green MP Caroline Lucas and the film producer Alastair Fothergill – urged the government to act now.
“The proposed GCSE in natural history, which was agreed by the last government but not finalised before the general election, has been stalled by Labour and it may be delayed by four or five years if it is subject to the government’s curriculum and assessment review,” the letter read.
“The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and children are more removed from the natural world than at any time in history. This qualification is designed to reconnect young people with nature and to give them the skills and knowledge needed to put right the crisis we are facing.
“It enjoys widespread support among teachers, students, colleges, universities, and the business sector recognises how it will address a serious skills shortage and boost the green economy.”
The proposed GCSE, announced in 2022, was supposed to be taught in schools by 2025. The then education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, said at the time that it would give young people “a chance to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding” of the environment and “how we can come together to conserve it”.
But now campaigners fear the introduction of the qualification will be folded into a wider curriculum review announced by the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, when Labour swept to power last summer.
The letter added: “The qualification will also encourage links with the arts. Research shows that a meaningful connection with nature benefits mental and physical health and may motivate school attendance. It is a good news story in the making. We urge the secretary of state to give it the green light without further delay.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said on Saturday: “We are committed to driving high and rising standards in schools and ensuring all pupils benefit from a rich and balanced curriculum that sets them up for work and life.
“Through our National Education Nature Park programme, led by the Natural History Museum, children and young people are inspired to connect with nature and develop their understanding of their own role in climate change.
“The government is currently in the process of considering the next steps for a natural history GCSE.”
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Announcing the GCSE, the Conservative government said the qualification would enable young people to explore the world by learning about organisms and environments, environmental and sustainability issues.
It said they would also develop skills that could help them carve a career working with the natural world.
The qualification had gone through most of the policy process by the time of the general election and was due to go out for public consultation, which is the final stage before a policy is put in place. However, the campaigners have been told the GCSE is now on hold indefinitely.
Colwell told the Guardian last month: “We’ve been saying to Labour it’s there, it’s ready, it’s a very popular thing you could do.
“The message we have got in response is that it is seen as a Conservative party initiative so has to be reassessed.”
