The YouGov survey of parents with children under the age of 18 commissioned by the education charity, Think Global, shows that parents are pessimistic about their children's world in 2050. Parents are also clear that they want their children schooled to respond to the problems they envisage.
Hetan Shah, CEO of the education charity, Think Global said: "The school curriculum is currently being reviewed by government and this research sought to enable parents to voice their concerns about the future and consider how schools could help prepare children for the future.
"Interestingly parent's views on education foreshadowed views articulated in the recent Foresight2 report from the Chief Scientific Officer, despite Foresight not having been published at the point of polling. Both parents and experts recognise that children are growing up in a globalised, interdependent world and that education must prepare them for work and life and to help solve problems of the future."
The poll asked parents about what the world will be like in 2050, including whether: the wealth gap between rich and poor will be wider than it is now three-quarters (76%) of parents agreed, just (4%) disagreed. They were also asked if the world will have been seriously affected by climate change more than half (58%) agreed, less than one in five (17%) disagreed. On the issue of racism 43% of parents thoughts that there will be more racism, whilst less than a quarter (24%) disagreed and two-thirds (67%) of parents felt that Britain would be less welcoming to immigrants with just one in ten (11%) disagreeing.
The poll also showed that parents want their children to understand these problems and felt strongly that schools have a role in that. More than eight in 10 parents (84%) of under-18s believe it is important for young people to learn to lead more environmentally sustainable lives.
More than three-quarters believe it is important for young people to develop openness to the cultures and perspectives of people from different places and backgrounds (79%); develop their knowledge about the causes of international poverty (73%); understand the causes of mass migration, including migration to the UK (74%). Some 49% parents also think schools should do more to help young people to think more globally.
