Schools sympathetic to young climate change protesters

Jewish schools have taken a sympathetic approach to pupils who have missed school to attend climate change protests.

Many schoolchildren were among the millions around the world who went on demonstrations at last Friday’s “climate strike” — inspired by the example of Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who was at the United Nations this week berating world leaders for their inaction.

Hannele Reece, headteacher of Kantor King Solomon High School in Redbridge, said for students wanting to take part in such events, the school dealt “with each on an individual basis, so for students with good attendance who are proactive in school and community politics, we would support their attendance”.

She added: “For students with less than good attendance ,we would recommend they were better in school gaining the qualifications they need to be able to make a difference to the world positively.”

Spencer Lewis, executive headteacher of Yavneh College in Borehamwood, said, “We have only had two pupils who have attended over the last six months and only one last Friday. As the numbers are small, I have authorised these absences and I am proud of the passion these two young people have shown.”

However if larger numbers were involved, that would “necessitate a rethink due to the potential number of lessons missed”.

Patrick Moriarty, headteacher of JCoSS, said: “Our policy is to salute our students’ principled engagement with these vitally important issues where we have parental consent on record.

“We record students’ absence for marches as ‘unauthorised’ so that they are indeed making a protest.”

He added: “We will not pursue any further action in relation to such absences, but hope that further action will indeed follow from global decision makers to address the crisis. We have convened a working party of staff and students to focus energies on what steps can be taken within school.”

Rachel Fink, headteacher of JFS, said that "a group of students were given permission to participate in one of the protests earlier this year having discussed their previous interest and involvement in environmental issues."

Their attendanc record had been taken into account, she explained. "Students who could not demonstrate that they had prior interest or involvement  or who had poor school attendance were not given permission to attend."

It was also agreed, she said, that "on their return those students would use their experience to raise further awareness of these pressing issues amongst the wider student body."

Involvement in any future protests would be determined by the impact that previous participants have had at school, she said.