Associate Education Minister David Seymour says students participating in today’s climate strike would be better off attending school rather than missing classes to protest.
Seymour said he expected schools to record students taking part in the demonstrations as having “explained but unjustified absences”, rejecting the stance taken under the previous Labour Government that school strikes could be considered justified.
“The previous government said protesting instead of attending school could be justified. In my view, that is unacceptable,” Seymour said.
He argued students wanting to support the cause should instead protest outside school hours.
“If students want to show how much this cause means to them, they could march on Saturday in their own time. That would send a stronger message than taking a day off school,” he said.
Seymour pointed to declining participation in school climate strikes since the large-scale protests seen in 2019, saying it reflected improving attitudes toward school attendance.
“The silver lining is that we’ve come a long way since 2019, when around 170,000 students took the day off school. Only a fraction of that number is taking part now. That is evidence that attitudes towards school attendance are improving as the Government, schools, parents, and students make it a priority,” he said.
He acknowledged some students were concerned about climate issues and their futures but said education was the best pathway to making a meaningful impact.
“If you want to make real change in the world, you need to turn up to school and get a good education now,” Seymour said.
The minister said regular attendance was closely linked to improved educational achievement and better long-term outcomes, including employment opportunities, higher incomes, and stronger community participation.
“I encourage students, parents, and educators to prioritise education. That is what this Government is doing, and it is what New Zealand needs for a better future,” he said.
Image credit: Li-An Lim
