Rotorua students to join global strike over climate change

Rotorua students going on strike over climate change say they are just trying to do their part before it's too late.

The high school group will join thousands of students around the country planning to go "on strike" on Friday to support a worldwide day of action over global warming.

Areta Pakinga, one of the students on the organising group, said they were expecting more than 100 students from all the city's high schools to join in the Rotorua strike.

"We're encouraging students to leave school at lunchtime to make their way down to the Village Green. We have multiple speakers planned ... and youth performances," the John Paul College student said.

"By youth backing the cause, it spreads the word."

Rotorua Girls' High School's Geraldine Atchico said while they had the support of staff to strike, other students were willing to face disciplinary action for the cause and would still attend.

"It's quite disheartening it's come to this for our voices to be heard."

Lukas Scowen, who attended Western Heights High School, said the teenagers simply wanted to make a difference.

"We just want to make our future brighter for us and for our kids to come.

"We want to live in a clean, green, not just New Zealand, but a clean, green planet. We're trying to do our part before it's too late."

Jess Wharekua, who also attends Western Heights, said: "we should all be doing our part to save [the world]".

"It's our future. We care enough to miss an hour of school which isn't too much."

John Paul College's Shakera Fleet said their actions were one piece in a bigger picture.

"We're trying to make sure people understand what we're trying to do and spread it."

Student Maia Berryman-Kamp said the worldwide strike was about calling for governments to make sure people knew about climate change and what they could do to help.

The global movement was sparked by a 15-year-old Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who decided last August to stay away from school until the Swedish general election on September 9.

She protested by sitting outside the Riksdag (Parliament) every day during school hours with a sign, "Skolstrejk för klimatet [School strike for climate]".