Make primary school pupils pick up litter, says peer
EVERY school pupil should be forced to pick up litter as part of the National Curriculum, a former Tory minister will say next week.
Lord Robathan, who held three ministerial posts in David Cameron’s government, said he was concerned about a “slovenly” attitude towards picking up rubbish. The peer will next week urge ministers in the House of Lords to require primary schools to set aside one afternoon every week for their year six pupils, when children are aged 10, to do a litter pick.
Litter louts will face on-the-spot fines of up to £150, almost double the current limit, from next month, while the maximum fixed penalty councils can hand out to people throwing rubbish from cars will rise from £80 to £150.
On Tuesday in the House of Lords Lord Robathan will propose the “inclusion of litter picking in the National Curriculum for year six children, to tidy up the roads and encourage civic responsibility”.
The 66-year-old peer – who as Andrew Robathan was an MP for 23 years until 2015 – said it was necessary to do something “specific” to tackle litter.
He said: “If this were to happen I would be thrilled. I do want people to take a more active line in educating people so they don’t throw their rubbish all over our country. You have got to educate people. And if you educate children they will pass on this education to their families – their parents or siblings – who may be throwing things out of car windows, or dumping takeaways in the street.
“In the long term I suggest people would get a more responsible attitude towards litter.”
He said: “If you walk down our lanes and byways it is disgusting – we have been become very slovenly. It is something that we all acknowledge is bad but we are not doing anything about it.” Lord Robathan said he had been moved to make the call after becoming dismayed about the litter around his home in south Leicestershire.
He said: “We have a lane along some fields we own and we go out and pick up the litter. Every year we get sacks of it in a thousand yard stretch.”
Lord Robathan said he had previously raised the idea with Michael Gove, when he was education secretary, who told him it was an interesting idea. Lord Robathan forecast resistance from some teachers who might object on the grounds that “it is not our business to educate our children in civic responsibility”.
He said: “Teachers work jolly hard but I don’t think this would be a huge imposition.” The peer’s plans were welcomed by Therese Coffey, an environment minister. Ms Coffey told The Daily Telegraph that there would be no change in the curriculum, but litter collecting could be included in citizenship lessons.