A GCSE in natural history has been given the go-ahead by the UK government, paving the way for children to “understand and protect the nature on their doorstep and beyond”.

The qualification, which is set to become one of the first new GCSEs to be introduced in over a decade, was confirmed in parliament last week (21 March), by education minister Catherine McKinnell. Nature lovers have been campaigning for it for more than a decade, but despite a curriculum being drawn up some time back, progress had slowed.

Environmentalist Mary Colwell spearheaded the drive, working on it since 2011. Speaking at a seminar in 2021, she said a GCSE in natural history would “reconnect our young people with the natural world around them. Not just because it’s fascinating, not just because it has benefits for mental health, but because we’ll need these young people to create a world we can all live in, a vibrant and healthy planet.”