HEAD TEACHERS SUPPORT PUPIL STRIKE
Outrage as union backs classroom walkout on Friday
THE head teachers’ union has applauded a planned strike by school pupils who will walk out of lessons on Friday over climate change.
The mass action, called UK Youth Strike 4 Climate, is set to see thousands of pupils put down their pens for three hours to demand
action on the environment as part of a nationwide day of protests.
Although individual protests have been held, it is the first time a coordinated day of action has been planned that could lead to strikes in more than 30 towns and cities.
They have been welcomed by the National Association of Head Teachers. A spokesman said: “When you get older pupils making an informed decision, that kind of thing needs to be applauded.
“Society makes leaps forward when people are prepared to take action. Schools encourage students to develop a wider understanding of the world around them. A day of activity like this could be an important and valuable life experience.”
However, others criticised the “misguided” action. Toby Young, journalist and former director of the New Schools Network, a free schools charity, said: “Calling this a strike is ridiculous. What are they going to do? Down pencils?
“This is just truanting. For the NAHT to condone it is a shocking dereliction of duty.”
The Department for Education said this was a matter for individual schools but guidelines made it clear that pupils could only take termtime leave in exceptional circumstances, and when it had been authorised by the head teacher.
The children’s climate change movement started last August when 16-year-old Swedish school girl Greta Thunberg held a lone protest outside her country’s parliament. Since then it has mushroomed and now each week up to 70,000 children in 270 town and cities worldwide take part urging their governments to address concerns over the escalating climate crisis.
Last November around 15,000 Australian students left their classrooms and took to the streets. Last month 3,000 walked out of school in Brussels and called for action outside of the European Parliament.
There have also been strikes in Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, the US, Canada and Japan. The school climate strikes are now poised to arrive in the UK on Friday.
The UK Youth Climate Coalition, which has used social media to organise the strike, said it was a day for the nation’s children “to stand up for their future and for the Government to take notice by attending a demonstration rather than their classes”.
A spokesman added: “We are choosing to rise up and take direct action where older generations have failed. We are already facing devastating and irreversible impacts around the world. This is our final chance to fight for our futures, and our ages will not be what stop us.”
Pupils taking part in the UK Youth Strike 4 Climate are being urged to gather at sites such as Belfast’s City Hall, Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Welsh Assembly in Cardiff and London’s Parliament Square.
Pupils striking in smaller communities have organised other events. Among critics of the strike is former primary teacher William Wragg, now a Tory MP. He said: “I would not encourage a walk out, it’s far more fruitful to learn about climate change in school. The idea of a day of protest, I don’t see what learning will come out of it.”
Former head teacher and Chairman of The Campaign for Real Education, Chris McGovern, said: “I’m 100 per cent with children caring for the environment, that’s very good.
“But this is misguided and slightly delusional. Encouraging children to go on strike is quite a dangerous strategy, once you go on strike you set a precedent for anything.
“Schools need to be places where there is no strikes. If head teachers are not in charge then the children will be. When children take to the streets or go on strike it is a recipe for disorder. The right to peaceful protest is legitimate.
“Children and teachers have the opportunity to have their voices heard outside of school hours.”
Former Ofsted inspector and education campaigner Margaret Morrissey OBE said: “I am very pleased there is a significant number of youngsters actively concerned about climate change. [But] you do not walk out of education, you find a way to get your voice heard outside your school gates.
“We need to get out of the culture that happened in the last 20 years that you go on strike if you don’t get your own way.”