Blue Schools event at the IOC General Assembley, July 2025: Your questions answered

Held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 25 June to 3 July 2025, the 33rd IOC Assembly convened Member States, UN partners, and scientific institutions to advance ocean science, cooperation, and governance.

Highlights included welcoming Liberia and Antigua and Barbuda, bringing IOC membership to 152, endorsing the Ocean Literacy Plan of Action (2026–2030) and the IOC Capacity Development Strategy Implementation Plan (2023–2030), adopting the Strategy on Sustainable Ocean Planning and Management (SOPM), strengthening GOOS and data architecture, and announcing Rio de Janeiro as host of the 2027 UN Ocean Decade Conference.

Below is a concise Q&A developed from questions posed by Member States of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and answered by the UNESCO–IOC Ocean Literacy Team, which coordinates the Global Blue Schools Network; it compiles the complete set of questions and polished responses to support clear communication and easy reuse in articles and briefings.

Full Q&A

1. How can Blue Schools merge with existing Eco-Schools (a methodology recently uptaken by UNESCO), to avoid overlapping efforts toward sustainability?

   
   

   Blue Schools and Eco-Schools are complementary; Eco-Schools’ methodology structures environmental action, while the Blue School lens deepens the ocean focus. The key is alignment at the national level so ministries or coordinators can map overlaps and support synergies, reducing redundancy and enabling coherent work across water, climate, biodiversity, and ocean themes.

   
   

2. How can the Blue Schools better connect Ocean Literacy with innovation—like regenerative design, ethical entrepreneurship, and indigenous knowledge?

   
   

   Many Blue Schools already connect Ocean Literacy to regenerative design, ethical entrepreneurship, and indigenous knowledge by adapting to local realities. National coordinations are encouraged to partner with universities, spin-offs, and innovation hubs; secondary schools can explore regenerative practices, social entrepreneurship, and creative problem-solving with support from companies, foundations, and programmes.

   
   

3. How can schools get help accessing funding for meaningful ocean and coastal excursions for their students?

   
   

   This is a common challenge, particularly for inland schools or those with fewer resources. National coordinations may help access local funding or partners, and collaborations with municipalities, research centres, or NGOs can co-organize trips; some European programmes provide dedicated calls, and a global priority is to document solutions and build partnerships that expand access and equity.

   
   

4. Do all the schools in Brazil become Blue Schools once the Blue Curriculum is implemented?

   
   

   Not automatically. The Blue Curriculum is a structural milestone for scaling Ocean Literacy in Brazil, but becoming a Blue School remains a distinct, intentional process involving a theme, a project, and local partner engagement; Blue Schools act as field-level tools to implement the curriculum until Ocean Literacy is fully embedded—potentially by 2035—when the label may become unnecessary.

   
   

5. How should African countries join? What are the benefits?

   
   

   African countries are essential to the Global Blue Schools Network, with Cabo Verde, Senegal, and South Africa already advancing national networks. Countries can designate a national coordination team (e.g., ministry, university, trusted NGO) supported by the IOC office and receive training; benefits include addressing educational needs, empowering communities, promoting Ocean Literacy, and gaining international visibility and collaboration.

   
   

6. What is the relationship of the Global Blue Schools Network with the All-Atlantic Blue Schools Network and the European Blue Schools Network?

   
   

   The Global Blue Schools Network (GBSN) connects and supports regional initiatives worldwide to foster Ocean Literacy, sustainability, and community engagement. Regional networks like the All-Atlantic and European Blue Schools Networks coordinate efforts, promote collaboration, and contribute to governance; both sit on the GBSN Governance Board to help shape strategy and reflect regional perspectives.

   
   

7. How can teachers integrate Ocean Literacy in their teaching without losing focus on the curriculum?

   
   

   Teachers can embed ocean topics within existing subjects to maintain curriculum focus. Concepts like ecosystems, climate change, and water cycles can be taught using ocean examples—coral reefs, currents, and marine biodiversity—with practical guidance in the UNESCO toolkit.

   
   

8. How to link Blue Schools with marine spatial planning?

   
   

   Blue Schools can link to Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) through activities on ocean space use, simulations and role-play, local mapping projects, and collaborations with planners and researchers. These methods build understanding of competing interests, participatory processes, and evidence-based decisions, engaging students in real ocean governance issues.

   
   

9. How do Blue Schools address broader sustainability issues, including questions on climate?

   
   

   Blue Schools address climate and sustainability through interdisciplinary, action-based Ocean Literacy. Examples include teaching the ocean–climate connection with data and simulations, linking global issues to local contexts, implementing resilience projects, and partnering with scientists and institutions for citizen science and monitoring.

   
   

10. Is there a website of this initiative to explain more how this could be launched in a given place?

    
    

    Yes. The UNESCO–IOC Ocean Literacy platform provides resources, toolkits, and implementation examples explaining the concept, engagement pathways, and local adaptation; the Blue School toolkit offers deeper guidance.

    
    

11. Are “Blue Schools” considered part of the curriculum or extracurricular activities?

    
    

    The approach is designed for holistic integration across school life, ideally within the official curriculum. In some countries it begins as extracurricular or project-based due to constraints, but the goal is curricular embedding; in Indonesia, related field-school programmes are government-led, targeted to at-risk areas, and not yet part of the formal curriculum.

    
    

12. Should Malaysia establish Blue Schools in urban areas?

    
    

    Yes. Ocean Literacy is relevant beyond coastal or rural settings, and urban schools are crucial for shaping sustainable behaviours even where students are disconnected from the ocean despite daily dependence through food, trade, or climate; Malaysia already has a national focal point and five active Blue Schools, with more urban schools encouraged to join.

    
    

13. How has the Indonesian gov allocated their resources for Blue Schools to ensure the goal of making 100% of at-risk communities tsunami ready by 2030 is achievable?

    
    

    To achieve 100% tsunami readiness in at-risk communities by 2030, Indonesia allocates resources to prevention funding (education and infrastructure), enhanced community engagement (including the “SMONG” tradition), and improved infrastructure such as shelters and early warning systems. These priorities strengthen preparedness through education, awareness, and evacuation capacity.

    
    

14. How will Blue Schools be implemented to reach all people, especially in Indonesia?

    
    

    Implementation includes Geo-Hydrometeorology preparedness education via Climate Field School, Weather Field School, BMKG Goes to School, and Earthquake & Tsunami Field School. School-based ocean hazard education programmes have improved preparedness behaviours, and community engagement incorporates local wisdom like “SMONG” into school curricula.

    
    

15. To amplify the Blue School initiative’s impact, should the network integrate journalists to experience and report on its environmental education programmes?

    
    

    Integrating journalists can amplify impact by increasing awareness, telling compelling stories, securing media coverage, and promoting accountability. Collaboration raises visibility, builds support among stakeholders, and inspires action for ocean conservation and sustainability.

    
    

16. At what age should children start this kind of education?

    
    

    The Blue School programme can start as soon as children enter formal education. Ocean Literacy should be introduced at every school level with age-appropriate content that progressively builds knowledge and agency.

    
    

17. Would it be possible for an ocean education business located in Asia to officially make a MOU or agreement to adopt the curriculum for students in the region?

    
    

    Yes. Collaboration with education providers, including businesses, is welcomed to advance Ocean Literacy in Asia; Indonesia’s BMKG has been an early promoter via field school programmes, and partners can co-develop regionally tailored curricula in consultation with relevant institutions and stakeholders.

For more information write to us at oceanliteracy@unesco.org