In Wallonia, a geography teacher was fired for a very special reason. Max Stockmans, 35, tells his story in the French-language newspaper La Libre. “As a teacher, I made the choice. I focused on climate and environmental issues, but I lost my job because of it.”
Max Stockmans, 35, started working as a geography teacher two years ago. It is not mentioned in which school he attended exactly. “During my lesson preparations, I took time to delve into environmental issues,” he says. “I taught modern geography. A geography that reflected reality, that I wanted to be close to young people and their concerns.”
However, this approach was not well received by the Inspectorate. For example, after a recent examination, Stockmans was told that he was not sufficiently following the education program. “The inspector said I’ve been spending a lot of time on environmental issues and I’m not a geographer,” he said. As a result, he was evicted.
I want to contribute to an education that meets the current challenges of our society
Teacher Max Stockmans
The thirtysomething himself completely disagrees with his dismissal. “I want to contribute to an education that meets the current challenges of our society and the expectations of young people,” he affirms. Stockmans believes that schools should prepare their students for the future. In order to tackle global warming, he believes it is crucial for young people to have broader knowledge about the subject. This is missing from the current curriculum. “Climate issues are almost non-existent or are dealt with in a patchy way,” says the teacher.
Stockmans says climate should be discussed more often and in more detail. According to him, they are just as important as other subjects. “We have to face reality. This is necessary to prepare for and adapt to global warming,” he concludes.
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