Is This Really The Way To Set An Example To Children?

[youngmafbog]

Damned irresponsible if you ask me, regardless of the topic

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6687889/Fury-headteachers-union-BACKS-pupil-strike-week-protest-climate-change.html

[retrocop]

The Left wing biased education system start em young these days.
The future members of the SWP no doubt.
Totally wrong imo to impart militant type action at that age.
The only individuals that suffer are the children themselves.

[Calicogirl]

Oh yes perish the thought young people might make informed decisions and act upon protesting about them, far better they were all misinformed sheep trotting after the official line :/
Glad the Head teachers union are behind this.

[Tilly2]

It's their future. One day out of school won't make that much difference but the fact that so many young people around the world want to have a say in that future, is splendid, I think.
They might just make a difference...

[Mamyalynne]

They have to go forward in this World, 3 hours is not much to ask to let them have a say.

[Muntin]

Good for them, the students are behaving in a very responsible way.
Trying to take responsibility for their own futures. And I doubt very much if they were put up to it by left wing [what are the other muesli wearing cliche epithets, yogurt knitting, sandal eating...] teachers.
Some children are able to think for themselves, they study science, read serious papers and, heaven help us, books and have come perhaps to worrying conclusions.
The future for young people is bleak.

[MallyJ]

The Mail......snigger....so funny!

[andy-hughes]

I am all in favour of protest, if it actually means something.

Striking is only effective if you are withdrawing something from the people whom you wish to influence by your action, and the action is worthwhile pursuing in the first place.

Here we have students withdrawing themselves from school which will make no difference to anyone apart from inconveniencing parents who may have to make childcare arrangements, 'striking' or the nonsense of 'climate change', when no action of this sort is going to make the slightest difference.

A pointless gesture for a pointless cause.

[-Talbot-]

I would be more impressed if they all did something about their own carbon footprint and gave up using their computers, iPhones playstations and TV's


Also if they protested in their own time.

[Calicogirl]

Of course it makes a difference andy, demonstarting shows public opinion about certain matters- ie that's why it's called 'demonstrtting' because it demonstrates the peoples wishes. Not all demonstrations can bring about change but they do inform, which is the point of them.

[maggiebee]

These young people are our future and will be here long after all the old farts on here (including me) are long gone. Think this is great - anything that gets young folk thinking about the world they live in and trying to make it better has my vote. Nothing new in pupils demonstrating, earliest I can remember is in the 70s, but sure it happened before that too.

[hereIam]

I wonder how many of them are driven to school in huge gas guzzling four wheel monsters ?!!

[naomi24]

Is 'How to strike' being taught as part of the National Curriculum now? Get to school, kids!

[Old_Geezer]

The cause may be good but the form of the protest seems inappropriate. Their presence at school has nothing to do with climate change. A Sunday march would have been a less self interested option.

[naomi24]

maggiebee, //Nothing new in pupils demonstrating, earliest I can remember is in the 70s, but sure it happened before that too. //

Firstly, do you mean schoolchildren - or university students? Secondly, demonstrating and striking are two different things entirely.

[youngmafbog]

The problem is not just one day but teaching kids you should strike. Striling rarely gains anything apart from shortage of cash for the participants and glory for the strike leaders (or dont go short on cash)

Far more could have been gained by demonstrating on a weekend, showing you feel for a cause and are willing to put your own time into it.

[ToraToraTora]

Well Unions are all radio anyway. I don't see how walking out of lessons is going to help climate change. This is just part of the brainwashing that goes on in schools. They release annually a batch of young trots who sadly have to discover for themselves that the world does not owe them a living. Eventually they become Tories anyway.

[Old_Geezer]

Striking improved the lot of workers. Time was when one was supposed to be grateful to find employment. Since workers rights have been taken away it's going back that way. But striking as a pupil from school, especially for an unrelated to school matter, is inappropriate.

[Peter Pedant]

// maggiebee, //Nothing new in pupils demonstrating, earliest I can remember is in the 70s,//

does she mean skool or uni ? oh Gawd as one of main fans might say

skool of course - students against vietnam demonstrated along side uni student outside Grosvenor square 1968 and 1969

I dont think we ever struck - sit-ins were the in thing then

[ummmm]

PP - Can you not spell 'school'?

[JF85]

There are reasonable safeguarding concerns about not knowing with certainty where children are during school time. I can see positive benefits in whole classes participating though, as part of the national curriculum with follow-up work to debate the relative merits of organised action and passive acceptance, government commitment, peaceful protest versus rioting, comparative movements in other countries, statistical analysis, intra-group dynamics, the role of leaders and followers, how democracy can be influenced by lobbyists, bladder control during Police kettle gathering tactics, fresh air and exercise, preparation and organisation, design and construction of placards, discipline in public, ... maybe even climate change itself.

I would fully support an integrated and coordinated approach to this idea.