To wonder if school children understand the concept of a (climate) strike

[lemonsandlimes123]

Watching the news coverage of the climate strike today I can't help but think a couple of major points are not being addressed.

Firstly it is not exactly difficult to motivate thousands of children to effectively take a day off school! I have seen journalists pondering why it has been so well supported and I can't help thinking the answer is somewhat obvious, most kids like a day off school.

Secondly i understand the concept of a strike as a political action to be one of removing your labour to effect those who may profit from your labour. The accompanying loss of wages also means that there is cost to the striker that shows a certain commitment to the cause. The idea of school children striking when in fact in a school they are the beneficiaries of the labours of others strikes me as somewhat backwards. By not attending school they are only reducing their own education which seems rather self defeating IMO.

So whilst I think it's great that people are engaged I do feel the whole walking out of school business probably has more impact on the numbers participating than the actual cause.

The whole thing was bloody pointless-
So western kids harass their parents to clean out every milk bottle top, unaware that the final killers of this planet will be India and China

Like I said I’m a pessimist! If everyone did what you did in the richer countries and the poorer ones stayed the same as they are now then that would be an improvement but if the entire world adopted your lifestyle it wouldn’t.

I’m not having a go at you personally. There just seems to be a lot of naivety and people patting themselves on the back whilst it won’t help which I suppose is the definition of virtue signalling. I fly many more times than once a year and eat lots of meat but I’m not at the protest as would feel stupid doing so.

Don’t think these kids are prepared to make the sacrifices that their parents are accused of not making but let’s see. Without constant growth and consumerism the economy would be fucked and people would be mad as hell. If ‘Austerity’ is bad now wait until real Austerity happens

Shouty so what have you and your children committed to to reduce your own emissions? No foreign holidays involving flights? Reducing your meat and dairy consumption? Getting rid of your car?

You are very low in the virtue signalling league table though so please don’t think I’m personally criticising you. You’re more green than me. How people like Emma Thompson and Di Caprio can preach with a straight face shows an unbelievable lack of self awareness or narcissism

What a nasty thread. It wasn’t pointless it was a worldwide protest.

I don’t think I’m nasty. It’s great people have decided to protest but what are they protesting for or against? What are the demands? And are they prepared to make the sacrifices required to fulfil what said demands are?

Wow, people on this thread coming across as miserable, rude and plain nasty. About children trying to make a difference and those who support them. Horrible.

Of course in ANY rally or strike there'll be some who are more committed to the cause than others. Of course there are probably some people going along for the ride.

But loads of young people are genuinely concerned and passionate and want Govts to take more action, sooner. And are making their own sacrifices - or parents are making them on their behalf.

If people have to wait until they've reached sustainability perfection before they're allowed to speak out about the world needing systemic change, we'll be waiting a long time.

How old do my trainers have to be?

They're protesting against the climate changing.

CassianAndor.... some of those things and others. Sorry if you think we are a terrible family because my children give a shit. Sorry also t my children because you see what I didn’t. Those of you who elect to undermine my children because they care can just go blow Piers Morgan.

Caucho why are you even on this thread? Telling yourself they're not really making a difference, they don't know what they're doing and the world is fucked regardless to make you feel less guilty about your multiple flights and daily meat habit?

@Shoutymomma ignore the posters who don't understand people are campaigning for systemic change and think you have to be flawless before you're allowed to care and speak out. Your children sound great.

Young people are so underestimated by so many people these days. I find it really frustrating and sad. They're not one homogeneous group. Yes, some are selfish and naive and stupid. But some are intelligent and aware and ambitious and driven. Guess what? Just like adults!

I'm impressed by teenagers on a daily basis (I work in FE). Well done them for getting off their arses and trying to make a difference, imo.

Was it not higher education students too? We had one outside out office and it was all workers and very few small children. Considering we have several universities within spitting distance I was surprised that the students didn’t bother themselves to turn up.

Exactly @BobTheDuvet

It's like saying you'd better not speak out about poverty unless you've donated every possible penny to the poor.

YABU - I was on the strike today, and the kids were amazing. They really care, they do know what the issues are. Most of those I saw were primary age, and from parents I spoke to the schools are supportive of them coming on the strikes (or at least have no repercussions for them going), and the kids are conscientious and don't want to get in trouble.

You're being patronising to assume they don't know the issues, and that it's for a jolly. It would be great if we didn't have to protest. It would be great if government hadn't been dragging their feet for 20-30 years, it would be great if there weren't cynics who say "the planet is fucked, there's nothing we can do". We CAN fix this, but it's taken the energy and optimism of youth to raise this to the fore.

I'm more concerned about the kids that aren't there, and the parents that wouldn't support them doing it. They're part of the problem.

YANBU I drove past/through the local protest in our town today. I felt cynical for wondering what the participants had actually done themselves, so I’m glad to see on this thread it’s not just me 😄 the signs e.g. ‘I agree with greta’, my instant thought was ‘you’re for sure planning a gap year/travel and you definitely won’t sail your way there’. Some of DS’ classmates (4 year olds!!!) have been taken out of their second week of school to attend a protest, and as well as sounding like hell on Earth, also just reeks of virtue signalling. Parents would definitely have driven there in their Range Rovers.

You're making massive assumptions about the people on these marches. Everyone I know who has been on them has made at least some changes to reduce their carbon footprint, some of many years standing.
Even those who feel unable to modify their lifestyle at the moment are signalling their willingness to accept alternatives if they are offerred by going on marches and showing an interest.
Governments need to know how willing people are to change when developing strategies, supply and demand, it helps move things along.
I don't berate my less green friends but I do answer questions about my choices truthfully, my friends know I choose not to fly on holiday and why, but I try to keep it light and cheerful and never lecture.
I think it's patronising to think children don't understand the issues and are being manipulated by adults, I've certainly not managed to " brainwash" my three thoroughly yet!

More power to them!

We are fucking the planet but its their fault..... riiiiight.

But perhaps its too late? we are entering a tipping point of no return, the Greenland ice sheet is melting 4x faster than the worst predictions of even 10 years ago.

As this ice melts, it reflects back less heat, more atmospheric heat, warms the sea = more ice melt, this isn't sea ice, its land ice, so will raise sea levels.

But keeping blaming MC kids because it's amazing that you can all look at the TV and make instant decisions on someones "class"

What does a primary school child who does not pay their own bills, does not earn capital, does not weigh up material choices - how much can they truly know (as in experience) about how much a rise in natural gas prices due to limited supply versus prices dropping due to supply from fracking say - can impact their lives? How much can they weigh up choices like having £10 quid to buy a much needed winter jumper from a cheap high street shop versus waiting a few more months to save and buy one from the fair trade eco shop on a medium to low wage? How much have they experienced being on housing waiting list for years or paying high rent but having to consider whether it still justifies building on the green belt?

There is a reason children do not the get the vote. 'We want government to do it all' is easy to chant when you are being funded by mum and dad and are protected from having to make the really hard pragmatic everday decisions and understand ie live with their impact.

I'm one of the middle class parents who went to a climate strike with their kid today. We want to know that we tried - so we went, and we protested.

We do what we can to make our environmental footprint as small as possible. But there wasn't a multiple choice test before you were allowed to join the protest - and today was about much more than what consumers can do anyway, it was about what huge corporations and governments can do.

Are people suggesting Primary aged children are skipping school to attend CC demos without parental consent/support? Also, the children in my class at primary school clearly know a lot more about climate change than some of the dullards commenting on social media.

Haven't RTFT but @Caucho is spot on. I'd like to see these kids hold on tightly to their principles when they start missing opportunities to take selfies (one a phone whose components are manufactured and assembled in multiple parts of the world) on holiday abroad (where they got to by plane), in fast-fashion clothes from H&M et al. (Huge waste of water, poor working conditions by the labourers...) and all paid for by their parents. Haa!

Dd went to the protest today. She feels strongly enough about climate change to have gone vegan and to have made a commitment to avoid fast fashion and shop in charity shops where she can.she walks to school, and carries a re-usable water bottle. Don't underestimate the strength of feeling these kids have.

op - do you think that education can only take place within a classroom?