A sizeable crowd turned out in the rain today to attend Global School Strike – Swansea, supporting a global day of action following the example of Swedish student Greta Thunberg.
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Olchfa Comprehensive turned out a large group of students and there were also students from Bishop Gore and Ffynone House. Also attending were a number of primary students from Welsh schools as well as some home-schoolers, a number of University and local college students.
Students from Olchfa Comprehensive Swansea at the School Strike
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Governmental Methane
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The Government has expressed disdain for school strikes for climate change. However when Lib Dem MP Layla Moran was inspired by the strikes to secure a discussion on climate change in the House of Commons, hardly any MPs turned up! This live apathy transparently explains why young people are honing their determination to be heard on their concerns for their future and the future of the planet.
For a lot of children this was the first time they’ve been asked to use a signature, as they signed a petition asking Swansea Council to urgently declare a climate emergency.
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With Rob Stewart leader of Swansea Council and other councillors speaking of their intention to declare climate emergency alongside other councils eg Carmarthen, Bristol and Lancaster, the will is apparently there. Preparations for declaration include an imminent council report into the many existing current local initiatives on climate change.
While such institutional enthusiasm could lead to complacency in the community, the growing number of striking students would seem to indicate the opposite.
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Local heads may be ambivalent about the effect of Global School Strike – Swansea, on attendance numbers. However an IPCC report states that we have less than 12 years to achieve any meaningful climate change. This suggests an urgent need for education in a subject not currently on the curriculum.
One mum said “if they’d gone to school it would have been the same as any other day. They’d have just forgotten it, but they’ll never forget this”.
For those wanting to petition Swansea Council please download the PDF here and print it.
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