A democratic deficit in climate education? Youth experiences and public expectations in Australia

Education systems must equip students to navigate futures in a climate-changed world. Yet, climate education remains fragmented and overly focused on scientific knowledge transfer. This can leave young people anxious and excluded from meaningful learning. This paper explores the (mis)alignment between young people’s lived experiences of climate learning and the expectations of the wider public in Australia. We combine survey data from 1,058 adults with qualitative data from 74 young people (aged 11–16). Findings suggest that while both groups value climate education, adults prioritize STEM disciplines, while young people express deep frustration with the system’s narrow scope and demand greater opportunities for civic action, critical discussion, and emotional literacy. The paper argues that reconciling the expectations of society with the lived experiences of young people is essential to renewing the democratic legitimacy and future relevance of education in an era of accelerating environmental and social change.