School ‘strike’ for climate change
Christchurch pupils will stage a school ‘‘strike’’ and protest in the street as part of a global campaign for action on climate change.
The rally, scheduled for March 15, will run alongside several other marches across the country in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland as part of a movement known as Schools 4 Climate Action. Tens of thousands of young people in at least two dozen countries and nearly 30 American states plan to skip school on the same day to protest.
Globally, their message is clear. They are sick of waiting for adults to save their world so they are going to do it themselves.
The movement began with 15-year-old Greta Thunberg, from Sweden, skipping class to sit outside government buildings because she believed her country was not following the Paris Climate Agreement. Since then, children across Europe and Australia have been inspired to hold their own demonstrations.
Christchurch event co-ordinator Lucy Gray, 12, said the march was an ‘‘awesome opportunity for students to stand up for what they believe in’’.
‘‘As young people we want to have our voices heard and make people wake up to this global issue that affects everyone.’’
A national organiser said new marches were popping up daily but she anticipated events in about 20 cities, involving about 1000 people.
The event website calls for ‘‘urgent action’’ to end the use of fossil fuels and move towards renewable energy. It said that ‘‘simply going to school isn’t doing anything about climate change’’, and politicians were not doing enough.
University of Canterbury student Bridget White encouraged people no longer in school to attend the march, which will begin at Cathedral Square at 1pm. There will be music, guest speakers and cultural showcases from schools around the city.
‘‘I think it’s also hard to tackle an issue as big as climate change. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of us have accepted our fate [or] become apathetic towards the issue because of a belief we can’t change anything.’’
White, who organised Hands Across the Sand and was heavily involved in the Climate Parade 2015 organisation, acknowledged it was hard to find time to dedicate to climate activism but would ‘‘love to see more young people involved’’.
Ministry of Education spokeswoman Ellen MacGregor-Reid said awareness of the environment was an important aspect of the curriculum. It ‘‘encourages students to participate and take action as critical, informed and responsible citizens’’, in learning areas from social sciences to English, science, art or technology.
Some schools may choose to follow up on any student interest in the strike to prompt classroom discussions and work on this part of the curriculum, she said.