Climate change strike: This is why Kiwi kids are 'bunking' school
Thousands of Kiwi kids are picking up placards and protesting for their future. New Zealand students will be swapping their school books for banners and megaphones in the name of climate change on Friday, March 15. It's part of a Strike 4 Climate Change global movement that all started with 16-year-old Greta Thunberg. In 2018, Thunberg striked outside the Swedish parliament in an attempt to raise awareness of what she called "the biggest crisis in human history". Her plight has been heard by students from more than 50 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Australia and now New Zealand. READ MORE: * Striking students will be marked as truants * Christchurch pupils to strike as part of climate change action * Why these climate change activists are ready to break the law * New Zealanders rally to global People's Climate March call for action WHY A STRIKE? Thousands of teenagers in Belgium and London have already taken to the streets holding placards which read: "What do we want? Climate justice. When do we want it? Now" and "The ocean is rising and so are we". It's a call to action and their message is clear; they're not waiting for adults to save the world, they're going to do it themselves. KIWI TEENAGERS TO MARCH In New Zealand, thousands of Kiwi students are expected to join in on the protest as part of the global movement. Events in the major cities have already been organised with more being set up in the country's provincial areas, as part of a movement known as Schools 4 Climate Action. In Christchurch, 12-year-old Lucy Gray will be among the masses standing up for what she believes in. "As young people we want to have our voices heard and make people wake up to this global issue that affects everyone," she said. Gray said teachers strike "all the time to get what they want and that's just money". "We want our future; I think that should be allowed." WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING The strikes have polarised politicians, schools and public opinion around the globe. In the UK, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was inspiring to see school kids making their voice heard. But other have come out saying it's "truancy" rather than a strike. Although some New Zealand school heads have said they were supportive of the cause and would make it into a learning opportunity, others questioned what the strike would actually achieve. On advice from the Ministry of Education, some schools seem to be adopting a unified stance that students must have their parents' permission to attend, and will be marked "unjustifiably absent" if they do not. Anyone who attends without their parents' permission would be marked as truant. A template letter sent to Christchurch parents said schools "do not support students attending this event". WHO SUPPORTS THE STRIKE? An open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern supporting the strike and calling for more government action on climate change has been signed by over 1,000 academics, teachers, and researchers . Amanda Thomas, a lecturer in Environmental Studies at Victoria University who helped organise the letter, said it was important for adults to support the cause, and that the strike should be seen as more than just students missing a day of school, it is giving them a "sense of agency in their own power" and a chance to have their voice heard. Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw wrote in an opinion column for Stuff that he found it patronising for adults to tell young people whether they should protest or how they should protest. He also dismissed those who argued that the protest should have happened on the weekend. "Do it on a school day and look at the attention they've been getting ever since the plan was announced," he wrote. "When you're fighting for your future, and you are trying to get the attention of those whom you feel have let you down, following the rules and marching on the weekend isn't going to cut it. A protest isn't a protest if it's on the terms of the very people you're raising your protest with." "It wouldn't have stopped nuclear warships entering our waters if protesters had waved placards on Auckland's Tamaki Drive or from the Massey Memorial overlooking Wellington Harbour. However, Shaw stopped short of explicitly encouraging or discouraging students from participating, saying it was "their choice to make." WILL STUDENTS BE MARKED WITH AN ABSENCE? Several principals and teachers have said that students will be marked down as truant if they miss school to attend the march. Secondary Principals Association president and Pakuranga College principal Michael Williams said students' impact on climate change would be "probably zero". "We're concerned that students are wasting good learning time," he said. On advice from the Ministry of Education, schools have adopted a unified stance that students must have their parents' permission to attend, and will be marked "unjustifiably absent" if they do not. Anyone who attends without their parents' permission will be marked as truant. A template letter sent to local parents said schools "do not support students attending this event". "Our understanding is that the event has no recognised, official body organising it. Plans for management on the day, if they do exist, have not been brought to our attention." WHERE AND WHEN Dunedin - Expected to start with a march down George St at noon on March 15, followed by a rally in the Octagon. Christchurch - 1pm at Cathedral Square with music, guest speakers and cultural showcases from schools. Wellington - 10am at Civic Square followed by a walk to Parliament down Lambton Quay, including speakers. Auckland - from noon at Aotea Square, with performers, speakers and music. Events are also planned for Nelson, Raglan, Russell, Hamilton, Lower Hutt, Kapiti, Palmerston North, Whanganui, New Plymouth, and others.