Student climate activists are holding another action on 25 September, the last day of term 3.
Federation has indicated its support for their latest action, posting this message on our website.
The students are calling the day “Build our future: Climate Justice and Jobs”. The following statement was taken from their website:
“Australian communities have been hit hard by the dual bushfire and coronavirus crises. Right now we have an opportunity to build the future we can all thrive in by creating clean jobs that care for country, climate and our communities.
“Instead the Federal Government and the Covid-19 Commission are secretly making plans to give billions of dollars in handouts to their mates in the gas industry that will turbocharge the climate crisis and threaten First Nations lands.
“That’s why on Friday, September 25, First Nations communities, School Strikers and young people, workers and unions are coming together to demand that our Government funds our future not gas.”
The students rightly recognise the limitations of their actions in the COVID world we are living in.
They do not want to put anyone in harm’s way but they are determined to express their democratic rights in a COVID-safe manner.
As creative and innovative young people, naturally they are developing a range of solutions including a call for people to come together online, wearing yellow on the day, and participating in selfies or human signs as appropriate with the hashtags #buildourfuture and #fundourfuturenotgas.
Where there are students in your schools who come to you seeking your support for their activities, we ask you that you show them solidarity.
The students are demonstrating the leadership, courage and powerful advocacy that is lacking from many of the adult decision-makers in this country.
At Federation state Council on 12 September, we heard a video message from Kayla, a year 10 student from Burwood Girls High School and one of the leaders of the School Strike 4 Climate Australia.
Kayla urged us as a union, as teachers and as citizens to show our solidarity on 25 September by wearing yellow to work on the day, to join colleagues in groups fewer than 20 with appropriate physical distancing, or via zoom, to hold signs with the hashtags #buildourfuture and #fundourfuturenotgas. Members are encouraged to take photos of their action and upload to social media and/or send to [email protected].
Federation strongly supports the efforts of the student strikers to push for the same approach to be taken to flattening that other curve, namely, climate change.
It’s time that we listened to our students.