Vancouver trustee wants school board to back climate strike

NEW YORK (NEWS 1130) — If world leaders choose to fail us, we will never forgive them: that’s coming from teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, as she speaks at the U.N. Climate Summit in New York.

And with a student-led international climate strike set for Friday, a Vancouver school trustee says he’s hoping to get the board to officially offer its support.

The international protest is led by students, and local kids are engaged on this issue, says trustee Allan Wong. The group Sustainabiliteens is one example.

RELATED: Surrey schools encourage students to join climate strikes, Vancouver schools may follow

He says as teens become more anxious about climate change, schools have an educational role to play.

“Many of the student groups [are] addressing climate change, and basically telling us that we cannot ignore — politicians, that they cannot ignore — millions of striking schoolchildren, we cannot ignore science, and we cannot ignore scientists and what they have to say,” he says. “I’ve been hearing in the last year or so — with regards to what they call eco-anxiety — where students, they’re in schools, they’re learning a lot about climate change and the devastating effect on the planet, yet they turn and look at politicians, governments moving at a glacial pace.”

WATCH: Climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses the UN

If teens want to protest during class hours Friday, he says the board should find a way to allow it to happen — that could mean excused absences for older students, or field trips for younger age groups.

“Being an educational part of government, I think we need to play our role,” he says. “If the students want to learn and understand something more about this, it’s something that we should be supportive of.”

RELATED: ‘I’d like to grow old’: teens send grim message at Vancouver climate change protest

While some may be critical about children missing school time, Wong says participating or even observing the event represents an opportunity for them to learn, and it’s not just a day off.

“We learn a lot in school, and I think participating in something like this — and students are gathering, especially during school hours — it’s important for them to be able to galvanize at a time when they’re all together.

Wong will present the motion at Monday night’s meeting. He says he’s optimistic he’ll get support from other trustees.

The Global Climate Strike will take place Friday in front of Vancouver City Hall at 1 p.m.

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