All quiet among Horowhenua students on climate change strike action

Students at the last Schools Strike For Climate action in March. Photo / Chris Loufte.

The student climate change strike action planned for this Friday is not getting a lot of traction among Horowhenua students.

Horowhenua College acting principal Jason White said he was not personally aware of any students who had confirmed they would be attending the strikes, however he was planning to discuss it with college prefects to gauge intentions.

Previously the college has said it supported the stance the group was taking and the fact students wanted to get their voices heard, but felt that striking from school was not the way to go about it, as schools were often the very places that would support messages about climate change.

Waiopehu College principal Mark Robinson said he was not aware of any local action, but said "two or three students have approached me about participating in the demonstrations in Wellington".

Manawatu College Bruce McIntyre said he was not aware of any action by students from his college.

"I haven't even heard any talk about it."
Students across the country and the world are being urged to strike from school this Friday as part of the next global School Strike 4 Climate New Zealand (SS4CNZ) event.

Organised events in Kapiti and Palmerston North are among the 17 locations across the country where students will gather to make their voices heard, with more events set to be added in the coming week.

The strikes have been planned following the recent release of the government's Zero Carbon bill, which the organisers say is a step in the right direction is "not sufficient".

They said the planned strike action was to demand that all parties in Parliament support passing into law an ambitious zero carbon act that sets in place a goal of being zero carbon by 2040.

SS4CNZ co-convenor Tony Huang said the organisation would not stop until the action they demand is taken.

"We're striking again on May 24th as we still don't feel that our planet and our future is secure," he said.

"Until the youth of Aotearoa can feel that our futures will be safe from the devastating effects of climate change we will continue to strike."

Huang said the group wanted the government to acknowledge the seriousness of climate change by declaring a climate emergency and instituting a legally enforceable zero carbon plan, as well as immediately stopping all new exploration and permits relating to fossil fuels.

Students are being asked to gather in Palmerston North, outside the city council building and in Paraparaumu at the Kapiti Coast District Council building at 12.30pm, where they will "write letters to demand action and make their voices heard," organisers said.