Peters says pupils should stay in school instead of marching for climate

WELLINGTON: Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters wants pupils who are thinking about participating in climate change marches on Friday to stay in school.

He said young people could learn all they needed to know about climate change by ‘‘seeing what the Government is doing’’.

Thousands of people, including many school children, are expected to march on Friday to demand climate change action.

Marches are expected in cities across the country.

The global marches began last Friday, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities including Paris, New York and London.

This coincides with the UN Climate Summit, where world leaders are discussing how to keep temperature rises within 2degC this century.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivered the keynote speech and told leaders: ‘‘now is the time for optimism and for hope and, crucially, a plan’’.

Back in New Zealand, Mr Peters talked up the Government’s policies which aim to fight and mitigate the effects of climate change.

But he told RNZ yesterday he did not support the school climate strikes.

‘‘I support people going to school and getting the greatest education they can, as fast as they can, to lift our educational standards because it’s one of the critical components of lifting massively this country’s productivity,’’ he said.

‘‘Not being at school and not being taught lessons is not what young people should be doing.’’

He added that this Government was the first to commit to fighting climate change. — The New Zealand Herald