School Strike 4 Climate protests expected in several cities

Students and supporters in Auckland, New Plymouth and Christchurch swapped their books for picket signs as they joined the School Strike 4 Climate protests on Friday.

They had multiple demands, including around climate justice, abolishing the Fast-track Approvals Bill, honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and for the government to stand in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Other demands included:

• upholding commitments to the Emissions Reduction Plan
• correcting harmful environmental policies
• stopping oil and gas exploration
• regulating international flights and cruises to reduce emissions
• lowering the voting age to 16.

But crowd sizes were a lot smaller compared to previous strike action in the past, with only around 80 people turning up in Auckland and 130 in Christchurch.

In Auckland, protesters RNZ spoke to said they were striking because their future depended on it.

"We're here to fight for our land, to fight for our country Aotearoa, to fight for the iwi for the people. We want to protect the future generations who will have to deal with this if we don't deal with it now," Zara said.

"Obviously we're still teenagers - we still want the future generations to enjoy this planet. But we need to have a clean and safe environment in order for that to happen," Joanna said.

"I'm here because I think the future of the planet is really important. Going to school for period 5 on a Friday is not as important as coming here and fighting for what I believe in," Frannie said.

"We don't want to live a future where everything gets messed up and can't even go outside, can't even see green plants," Leo said.

Meanwhile in New Plymouth, their strike had a turnout of around 30 people.

And despite it being a protest for students, only four of them showed up.

Patrick Medlicott, who is celebrating his 78th birthday on Friday, wanted to get involved for future generations.

"There's not very many kids which is a pity because it's there future. I don't care, I'll be dead so there's no point in me worrying about it, I'm worried about it for grandchild and my great-grand children," he said.

Wellington's strike was cancelled on Friday due to unpredictable weather and clashes with mock exams.

Further down the country, the strike in Christchurch had around 130 people attend.

Organiser Bugs Sullivan emphasised its important for rangatahi to show up and tautoko the kaupapa because it links in with supporting Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

"Noticing the attacks on these things are also connected, acknowledging the strike of impact of colonisation on both indigenous people and the environment. You just like at the way this government is tearing at environmental attacks, with it attacks on Māori rights like the abolishment of Te Aka Whai Ora and the treaty principles bill," he said.

Strike participants should be marked 'unjustifiably absent' - Seymour

Associate Education Minister David Seymour wants schools to mark students who bunk off to go to climate protests on Friday as unjustifiably absent.

Seymour said while he admired children caring about major issues the best place to get the tools they needed to tackle climate change was in the classroom.

"I do not think that you can argue it is a valuable contribution to a child's education. If we're worried about maintaining human welfare with lower climate emissions... what we need is a generation well versed in maths and science."

He said the protest would have more impact if was held on the weekend or during the holidays when they would not miss school.

"I strongly urge schools to mark attending School Strike 4 Climate as unjustified absence, I do not think that you can argue that it is a valuable contribution to a child's education. If they're worried about maintaining human welfare with lower climate emissions in it and adapting to climate change, what we need is a generation well versed in maths and science, Seymour added.

However, students across the country remained defiant to fight for a cause they believed in.

"If he was doing something about climate justice then I wouldn't have to take time off school," Year 11 Sacred Girls' High School student Jane Doyle said.

"It's unfair to make me choose between my future currently and my overall future," Auckland organiser Isla Hudson said.

"It's a shame to see he's not supporting climate action which is really something we should all be joined together and supporting for our whenua and for our rangatahi and for the future of our planet," Sacred Heart senior student Amber Cayley said.

"He can't tell me that I can't come here because it's just not as important as being here and standing up for what I believe in," Frannie said.

Read more about the crackdown on truancy:

• 'Can't keep ignoring the truancy crisis': Government announces new school attendance system
• Teacher-only days have no impact on term time - teachers
• Schools take issue with new truancy crackdown
• Crackdown on teacher-only days, parents face prosecutions in truancy push

Seymour announced a crackdown on truancy on Thursday, including prosecuting parents after 15 days of absences.

"If students feel strongly about sending a message they could have waited until Monday, when the end of term holidays begin and there is no school for two weeks. It has become far too common to sacrifice valuable learning time for other causes.

"The previous government said that protesting instead of attending school could be justified. This, in my view, is unacceptable. My expectation is that schools will treat students protesting today as explained but unjustified absences."

Seymour has also announced schools would no longer be allowed to hold teacher-only days during the school term.