Climate Change in Agriculture: Ahead of the New Semester in Schools in Serbia
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of today’s world. Recognizing the importance of adequate education and raising awareness among future agricultural professionals about climate change, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development the Institute for the Advancement of Education and Upbringing and FAO, through the project “Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Agriculture”, funded by the European Union, introduced a new elective subject “Climate Change in Agriculture” to high school students in agricultural schools across Serbia starting September 2023.
Training sessions for interested teachers to prepare classes for the new subject were conducted before the start of the school year. In early December, teachers from schools that introduced the new subject gathered at the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade to exchange their experiences and their plans for the coming period. Through practical examples from daily life and an interactive approach, they managed to make this complex topic more accessible to high school students, helping them not only to recognize the impacts of climate change in their environment but also to learn how to react to them.
"From the very beginning, I set the goal for the classes to be interactive, a place where we can explore and discuss together. The main focus at the moment is on teaching units adapted to their level of knowledge, and besides that, I give them various tasks, like capturing the effects of climate change in their surroundings. Then, we discuss it, and in this process, I also learn along with them. I believe this topic is highly relevant, and it will continue to be so. I see that students are very interested because they are learning something new, which they haven't encountered in their studies before," emphasized Magdalena Gak from the Agricultural High School in Zrenjanin.
All teachers highlighted that students showed great interest in the topic and the impacts of climate change, considering that most of them have their own farms and have personally experienced negative consequences due to floods, storms, droughts, and extreme temperatures.
"Students encounter many new terms, such as climate systems. We strive to show them the problems that arise in agriculture, and we indeed have feedback. We have students who work in agriculture, own their farms, and have experienced consequences during this and the previous years," said Ivan Petreš from the Sombor High School of Agriculture and Food Technology.
In preparation for classes, Ivan incorporates theory from other subjects so that students can better connect new concepts with the knowledge and experience they already have. He adds that it is good that this is an elective subject because through storytelling and discussions, it is possible to raise awareness among students. He believes that the new generation will make significant changes in their environment and communities.
Through practical examples, experiments, quizzes, and tasks, teachers managed to generate interest among students and familiarize them with the topic of climate change, both in theory and practice.
"It's very interesting that students understand what's happening, recognize the problems, and present their personal experiences, but they lack details. This subject gives them an insight into why and how all these phenomena occur," highlighted Jelena Stojanović from the “Dr Đorđe Radić” High School of Chemistry and Agriculture in Kraljevo.
The school in Kraljevo also marked World Climate Change Day, and peer education was conducted within the subject, where students of second grade presented the topic of climate change to students of fourth grade, added Jelena Stojanović.
"We cover material related to different types of agricultural production within different school years, including crop farming and vegetable growing, fruit farming and viticulture, and in the fourth year, livestock. We want to introduce the topic of climate change in all areas and thus cover the entire agricultural production. This will enable students to gain enough information to implement sustainable practices on their farms," said Vesna Jović from the Agricultural High School with a Student Dormitory 'Sonja Marinković' in Požarevac.
Vesna emphasizes that students are particularly interested in climatology and meteorology, and within the subject, they created a cloud atlas. The knowledge they gained was easily applied during practical training.
The new elective subject is crucial to provide support to new generations in the fight against climate change and inspire them to raise awareness in their communities, families, and environment. It aims to deepen the understanding of this important topic that not only affects agricultural production, but also the environment and the quality of life of people in Serbia.
Cover photo: FAO/Oliver Bunic
Photos: FAO/Sara Pasic