To think this is not an activity in primary school

Have you ever volunteered at a charity shop? I run a charity clothing exchange, loads of clothes are perfectly clean but are frayed, a little bobbled or just a bit wash faded that go for rags. There are also loads of old fashion curtains, table clothes etc donated that go to rags. There is no reason that these can’t be cut into strips of fabric for reuse in a banner.

Schools forever ask for small boxes or plastic containers for craft projects, collages can be recycled and no additional waste is produced.

Upcycling outgrown or damaged clothes is a perfectly normal project for a design class.

All are actually supporting the curriculum regarding reuse and global warming rather that actively harming the environment because it’s easier.

I agree mostly. Worth noting though that it’s quite hard to fit the curriculum in as it is. Any teacher will tell you that they need to catch up on lots of lessons because of all the extra curricular events that happen. I don’t think this would be a hill to die on but I do think OP is correct to be a little skeptical and keep a close eye on what is being taught.

Just by the way, cotton is an environmental disaster.

If we don't do something about climate change, those children in primary school now will be living in a very different and unpleasant world by the time they reach old age.

YABU and ridiculous.

Sounds like a great exercise. A good teacher should encourage exactly that kind of debate and criticsl thinking.

Can assure you many if not most children are very aware of the issues. To.the point of anxiety.

I do wonder if there's much point given how little action most governments (and people, really) are willing to take. A hard balance to strike.

They’ll have been learning about climate change activism which is entirely reasonable and through this, the teacher thought it would be fun to design a protest tshirt. I have no idea what your gripe is but it’s silly and you need to get out more.

What do you think getting parents to buy tshirts that will just get chucked in the bin, and painting them will actually do for climate change?

Upcycling an old, used t-shirt, fine. Buying a new one is ironically wasteful of the planets resources and parent's money.

I like a pp's suggestion of upcycling card to make banners as that's not generating additional waste or costs.

Climate change is an appropriate part of Geography and Science to learn about.
Protest is an appropriate part of Citizenship/ PSHE/ "British Values" to learn about. This is a good topic for these concepts because it's about a scientific fact.
There are a lot of strands of the curriculum including Art being brought together.

The line into being political would be crossed if the "protest" was affiliated with a group such as Just Stop Oil.

It’s not about the parents though is it? It’s for the children. The shirts will only “get chucked in the bin” if the parents insist on doing so and what message does that give to your child?The children will learn a lot while doing this project and why shouldn’t they be allowed to keep their shirts afterwards? They’ll probably enjoy the process and want to keep it.

I was a pretty sharp snarky kid and that is the first thing I'd have asked the teacher.

Why make parents buy t shirts that aren’t wanted or needed though?

I'm pretty sure we were told that in the early 80s

More likely they won't give a damn and I it's not chucked away it still will never be worn again

So is the teacher buying a load of those special pens to draw on t shirts? Or are they designing graphics on a computer to be printed on special iron/heat press on paper?

Yabu

Completely agree with this.

I would imagine it was used as something different yo get the children enthusiastic about and probably presented to the rest of the school in an assembly. My daughter took part in a 'peaceful protest' about therapy dogs in school around school in yr5 and loved it said it made it more "real' and understood more about the suffragettes. Teachers are always so tied to school/DofE rules that when they think outside the box they get moaned at🤬

Surely all they are doing is being made aware of the dangers of climate change, and being made to think about it in a creative way. I think it's a very reasonable use of time combining geography with art and design, and awareness of current issues.

have they booked a coach to disrupt a WE play and throw soup at a painting in National gallery?
if not, I think you need to brew youself camomille tea and chill, as you dont seem to understand what political activism even means.

And... we DO live in a defintiely more unpleasant climate than in the 80s. So they were not wrong.

Talk to the teacher to get some clarification maybe? I'd be incredibly surprised if the school was organising a protest especially without parents knowledge! He may have worded it badly. How old is your son?

Personally I would have used it to talk to him and ask him what his views are.

If that's not the time or the place, when exactly is? Climate and weather fall under geography, so a geography lesson is exactly the place for children to be learning about the climate crisis, surely?

I really don't see the problem, it's not like they were sent out canvassing for the Green Party.

I wouldn’t be upset about the T shirt but I would be at any suggestion that they are to be worn on a protest. So I would be making clear it clear to the school that my child would not be attending any protest.
while I was in the school I would be talking to the teacher about the content of the lesson on climate change to ensure that it was balanced, accurate and not full of doom and gloom. Children do not need to be made anxious because their teacher pushing their own particular stance
i would also have my own discussions with my child on climate change to ensure that they received a range of perspectives.