Abstract Climate change presents critical socio-economic and environmental challenges in South Africa, yet the translation of Climate Risk Education (CRE) policy into effective classroom practice remains fragmented. This mixed-methods study synthesizes five years of implementation data (2018–2023) from five provinces to understand how to bridge the policy-practice gap. Through analysis of curriculum documents, program evaluations, the study identified three critical bottlenecks blocking effective CRE delivery. First, curriculum-classroom disconnect, while climate content exists in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements, the curriculum implementation documents guiding teaching in South African public secondary schools, assessment pressures, and overcrowding marginalize it in practice. Second, teacher capacity crisis: 70% of teachers lack the confidence to deliver CRE effectively despite its presence in the curriculum. Third, resource inequality: 60% of rural schools lack updated materials, with experiential learning infrastructure present in 65% of urban but only 18% of rural schools. The CRE Implementation Gap Framework integrates hope-based pedagogy with implementation science to centre learner agency. The review demonstrates how initiatives like Fundisa for Change transform learners from passive recipients to climate agents through localized, action-oriented approaches grounded in Ubuntu and Indigenous knowledge. This study proposes a resource-differentiated, phased implementation roadmap with costed interventions (R2.5 million to R50 million over five years, < 0.02% of the basic education department budgets), adaptable across diverse school contexts. This framework offers practical pathways for education systems across the Global South to operationalize CRE policy while cultivating youth resilience, agency, and climate literacy for adaptation and justice.
Matimolane et al. (Mon,) studied this question.