Pupil strike on Friday over climate change.

[justasking111]

DS said on Friday the pupils at his school might walk out on Friday over climate change. I did not realise at the time it was a national thing. Not impressed with this, what are the children going to do for three hours. We have had nothing official from the school. Has anyone?

www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/08/global-school-strikes-over-climate-change-head-to-the-uk

I don't see what effect it would have at all. Other than missing lessons.

What do teachers think?

Good for them. Better than apathy

If students in my school did this I imagine they would face isolation on return for truancy. I’m not sure what this strike is meant to achieve. There are very few teens that I teach for whom I would believe that this was a genuine strike about climate change to be honest. I would reckon most just wanted to get out of lessons.

Having looked at the Facebook, I would be more impressed if students were actually getting together and protesting. Not if they were just farting off home on a Friday afternoon.

Fantastic let their voices be heard, I hope my DD joins in

Genius to do it the day they break up for Half Term. Extra time off.

I'm so pleased. It's time for our children to have their say... there have been similar strikes all over Europe.

Didn't realise there were specific locations. We aren't one of them.

just an excuse to skive for 3hrs

This. Skiving under the pretence of protesting.

Far better for them to look at what they are doing to contribute to climate change and how they ar going to change their ways.

www.ted.com/talks/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_case_to_act_right_now_on_climate

People need to watch the young inspirationalstudent Greta Thunberg do a Ted talk. www.ted.com/talks/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_case_to_act_right_now_on_climate

There’s is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING more pressing at moment than climate change.
Parents should support their children to strike. And if you are genuinely concerned about “ skivving off school” join your kids.

Protests do work, that why people across the world protest.

I really hate how some posters here are belittling their children’s intelligence and their power to change things. It’s called people power.

I’m joining my children in the protest because I believe in science and science said and proved that the threat is real.

Brexit/no Brexit/ economy/nhs etc will eventually sort itself out but the climate won’t.

Do this for your children. Come on people power!

I've been following this on Twitter since I first heard of Greta Thunberg's school strike last autumn, and there's a huge amount of support from climate scientists, biologists, academics and journalists, amongst others, for the striking students.

This is a good article about why we should listen to them.

I don't know how many parents near me would be supportive (the nearest planned strike that I know of is at least 60 miles away) given that many of them drive their children 0.5 mile to school.

Why are thousands of students striking from school? Interview here with eight young activists from around the world, including the UK.

What Rhianna1980 said.

I'm supporting my daughters who are going . The youngest is at school , but the oldest is at college so will go along to the March then go to her normal timed seminar. I'm glad they want to go . I think that it's important that they understand what's going on and feel they can challenge and not just say ' it's not going to make a difference ' .
They both walk every where or get public transport , we don't fly, they are in a household obsessed with recycling . We are careful with food and fuel. I feel they need to get involved in climate change at a different level. It's their future after all.

So whatever stand they make is fine with me .

I applaud your daughters taking a stand, madamefraser. I hope they have an inspiring day

My dd is planning to take part.
Sadly I don't think she gives a toss about climate change but has been whipped up by social media and friends.
She won't even put stuff in the recycling bin which is an extra 3 feet away as it needs rinsing first. She's 14 and has been told by me there'll be serious consequences if she leaves school (I don't know what those are yet)

Inset day here today and tomorrow so...........

If enough students in a school did it, applying consequences like detention or isolation would be unmanageable, I would think.

My feeling is that in my school it would absolutely be hijacked by kids wanting to skive without a teensy sliver of interest in the issues. If students were serious about committing to this as a proper protest that they cared about I would be impressed, but if any do it where I am it will be to start half term early!

I have found the opposite- actually most of the children at my children's schools are very passive and do what the teachers/their parents tell them. Lots wanted to strike but their parent told them not to- so they aren't! I was initially skeptical but my children have convinced me that taking part in direct action on climate change is important. We've also had lots of conversations this week about what we can personally do (like turn off lights, use car less, we eat veggie mostly) so it's been productive.

I am worried by the passivity of the UK population (or perhaps just the English). Young people didn't vote for Brexit, and they are getting it anyway. I don't think it matters whether this one strike changes everything- it won't, but by continuing to push climate change up the agenda, and over-consumption (which is a huge problem even without climate change), politicians do listen. Direct Action is powerful.

I'm allowing my children (age 13 and 15) to go and I haven't sent them to school so there is no issue of the school being responsible for them/safety issues of leaving the premises. I agree this would put the teachers in a difficult situation, so they can side-step it. Both know they may get a detention/some school sanction for attending. I'm proud of them.

Whilst it is great that young people are starting to think about the impact we humans are having on the climate, I do wonder how many of them are serious and how many are just jumping on a bandwagon to miss a few hours of lessons.

How many will be heading to the airport tomorrow for their half term holiday in the sun or skiing? How many will be doing heading overseas in the summer? Like PP have said, how many get driven the mile to school each day, or get parents/guardians to give them lifts to their friends houses or to the shops because "it's too far to walk muuuuum"!!!

In our, terribly middle class city, it's all the home educated and private school parents who are excited about it. DD wants to go but she will get a mornings unauthorized absence and miss an assessment. I hate the constant testing they are having but his just irritates the shit out of me. All very well to get your kids involved if they are not affected but they don't give a toss about the 'state school children. And dd is very very political and informed.

My children are in state school.

I would not support my children taking part in this, especially with exams on the horizon. Pointless stunt.