Male Pupil Raising Hand In Class

A student raising his hand in a classroom.

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- What New York state students learn about climate change when they return to classrooms this month may hinge on their teacher's political views more than science, according to a report by the New York School Boards Association.

In a report examining research about climate change education, the association advises teachers to present climate change data to students without politicizing it.

New learning standards being rolled out this year in New York state include climate change and the contribution of human activities to global warming.

The Trump administration has dismissed the importance of climate change. Trump has called climate change "a hoax" and rejected evidence that human activity has contributed to rising temperatures. But a majority of scientists believe the earth's rising temperature is predominantly created by human activity.

A survey conducted by the association found 70 percent of school board members across the state believe public schools should be teaching students about climate change. The survey shows 16 percent of school board members oppose climate change instruction in public schools, while 14 percent are unsure.

The report cited a national survey that found 33 percent of teachers teach that climate change occurs due to natural, not human-made, occurrences in nature. "Conservative political identity was the strongest indicator that a teacher would suggest that climate change may be rooted in natural rather than human causes," the study found.

"When it comes to teaching about climate change, it certainly appears that politics and economics, not science, are driving the debate," NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer said in a prepared statement.