The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will introduce a 15-hour module on “climate change and sustainability” for students of Classes VI to VIII from the 2026-27 academic year.
The council aims to build early awareness among children about the urgency of preserving nature and developing environment-friendly habits as part of everyday life, said Joseph Emmanuel, chief executive and secretary of CISCE.
The CISCE now offers environmental science and environmental applications as subjects in the ICSE and ISC curricula.
The council said the growing urgency of the climate crisis necessitates a stronger and more integrated approach.
In a circular sent to schools last week, it wrote: “... Environmental education has become increasingly critical in the face of escalating environmental crises, and there is a need to build awareness towards sustainable and environment-friendly lifestyles among young Indians.”
Unlike a standalone subject, the new climate module will be woven into existing lessons across the middle school curriculum as a “knowledge and skills module”. This structure is meant to keep the learning less “content-heavy” and more practical.
Environmental concepts will be embedded into subject-specific themes. For instance, the number of endangered species could be connected to maths, the council said.
Emmanuel said environmental education must help children understand their surroundings, relate to them and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
“Children should know that they have to protect and preserve nature, and it has to be a practice. They have to develop the habit of living together with nature. With awareness, an educated and empowered youth will protect the environment,” he told Metro.
The circular to school heads said the initiative aims to create “sensitisation as well as a deep connect to the concern of environmental protection amongst young learners.”
To prepare schools for the roll-out, the CISCE held a webinar on Monday to orient principals and teachers on the scope, relevance and implementation methods of the module.
Educators welcomed the initiative.
“If we orient and empower children now, it will prepare them to act responsibly in the future,” said Mousumi Saha, principal of National English School.
Many schools already have “green policies” where children participate in recycling and conservation activities.
Some schools recycle plastic bottles to create vertical gardens, others convert old newspapers into packets and have banned the use of plastic on campus.
A few schools have installed solar lighting. “We have installed solar panels on our roof and it has helped to reduce the electricity bill to one-fourth of what it used to be,” Saha said.