The strikes in protest at the climate change crisis have made international headlines. Geoff Barton looks at how schools might work with pupils to help them engage with climate change

Since February, students in the UK have been taking part in monthly “strikes” to protest over the climate change crisis. This international movement was inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg who staged what were initially lone protests outside the Swedish Riksdag with a sign that read “school strike for climate”.

Since then Ms Thunberg has become a figurehead for campaigners worldwide who are calling for a greater level of action to combat the climate emergency, and she addressed the Extinction Rebellion in London in April.

The catastrophic consequences of global warming, and the urgency of more vigorous action, were also highlighted in David Attenborough’s recent BBC film Climate Change: The Facts (May 2019).
In addition, the Labour Party has declared that if elected it will launch a review of the curriculum with a view to extending the teaching of climate change in schools (May 2019).

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