‘Striking students should pick up litter’
Politicians hit back at climate change protests
ENVIRONMENT: Campaigning students would impress more if they spent time picking up litter rather than leaving lessons to demonstrate, one of Yorkshire’s MPs has warned, as climate change protests brought rallying scenes across the country.
Communities in Leeds, Sheffield and Huddersfield were among those brought to a halt.
CAMPAIGNING STUDENTS would impress more if they spent their free time picking up litter rather than leaving lessons to demonstrate, one of Yorkshire’s MPs has warned, as climate change protests brought rallying scenes across the country.
Communities in Leeds, Sheffield and Huddersfield were among those brought to a halt by yesterday’s protests, as campaigners rallied Government over environmental concerns.
However the strikes, inspired by Belgian teenager Greta Thunberg, who demonstrates every Friday outside Sweden’s parliament, have prompted concern from political and school leaders.
Missing class is not the answer to a greener future, Education Secretary Damian Hinds has warned, while Scarborough and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill has suggested parents should be fined for their children missing lessons in the same way as if they were taking a holiday.
“Taking children out of school for whatever reason does not contribute to good education and is very disruptive to classes,” he warned.
“The idea of children going ‘on strike’ to make a political point is DOWNING STREET said that while it was important for young people to engage with issues, the disruption to planned lesson time was damaging for pupils.
“Everybody wants young people to be engaged in the issues that affect them most,” a No 10 spokeswoman said. “But it is important to emphasise that disruption increases teachers’ workloads and wastes lesson time. That time is crucial for young people, precisely so that they can develop into the top scientists, engineers and advocates we need to help tackle this problem.”
not something that should be encouraged.
“I’d be more impressed if they spent their Saturday mornings picking up litter around town rather than taking time out from school to demonstrate.”
Roads had been brought to a standstill as the protests gathered pace, with tens of thousands of schoolchildren taking part.
In Leeds, an estimated 500 young people gathered outside the town hall for the Youth Strike 4 Climate action, before marching through the city centre with banners in protest.
“It’s about making students feel empowered, making them feel like they can make change and show the politicians they care about their future,” said University of Leeds politics student Jo Kamal, 21, who helped to organise the strike. “I think one of the placards said it very, very well: ‘Why are we going to school if our future is so uncertain?’.”
Parents had also joined the demonstrators in support, she said, adding that it could be “really hard” to get people in charge to listen to young people.
In the capital, teenagers took over an open-top bus, climbing to the top deck, while others formed a human blockade on roads around Parliament.
The action saw youngsters – some wearing their school uniform – carrying banners bearing slogans such as: “There is no planet B”.
The movement has already seen school strikes in Australia and Europe, and comes in the wake of a UN report warning over rising global temperatures.
Students in the UK are demanding the Government declare a climate emergency and take active steps to tackle the problem, communicate the severity of an ecological crisis, and make it an educational priority by reforming the curriculum.
The idea of children ‘going on strike’ should not be encouraged.
Robert Goodwill MP for Scarborough and Whitby.