In Pakistan the air we breathe and the ground we stand on is under threat and the gulf between the privileged and the underprivileged is widening day by day. However, our schools remain silent, failing to teach children how these two crises – environmental destruction and social inequality – are interconnected and affect their future. As climate change rages and social injustices increase, we must reform our education systems to include eco-social justice education—a revolutionary approach that reconciles sustainable environmental management with social equity. . Our children are growing up in a world where 33 million Pakistanis were displaced by floods in 2022 and where marginalized people – especially women, children and minorities – face the greatest environmental and social risks.
Currently, textbooks largely ignore these facts. They promote outdated narratives, fail to contextualize Pakistan’s socio-environmental challenges, and miss the opportunity to instill a sense of responsibility and activism in our youth. Environmental social justice education can fill this gap. By integrating lessons on climate justice, sustainable development, and equity, students can learn to connect local realities to global challenges. It prepares students to fight for sustainable, equitable communities.
Muhammad Shahjahan Memon
Islamabad