By Jenny Gibson
Pupils of Slaithwaite C of E Junior and Infant School were delighted to see their concerns for the planet talked about in the House of Commons after they wrote impassioned letters to their local MP.
Children of Sycamore Class, aged nine to 11, put their incisive questions about environmental policy to Labour MP for Colne Valley Paul Davies – and called for more climate change education in schools.
Mr Davies responded with handwritten replies to each child on House of Commons notepaper, acknowledging and agreeing with their concerns and ideas, and promised to do all he could to take them forward.
Furthermore, he stood up in Parliament to draw fellow MPs’ attention to the class’s efforts, and call on the leader of the house, Lucy Powell, to support climate change education.
Mr Davies is set to meet the young campaigners when he visits the school on Friday December 13.
The children were inspired to write after reading Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick, a novel is set in a dystopian future where much of the UK is submerged, due to rising sea levels from the effects of climate change.
Mr Davies told the House: “This week I had the pleasure of receiving letters from Sycamore Class of Slaithwaite C of E Junior and Infant School.
“The students expressed their concerns about climate change with remarkable insight and passion.
“The children’s genuine concern and thoughtful suggestions highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change. It was inspiring to see young minds so engaged and determined to make a difference.”
He asked: “Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Slaithwaite C of E Junior and Infant School on their excellent work, and furthermore, will she encourage schools across the country to educate pupils about climate change and the actions needed to address it?”
Ms Powell replied: “I will definitely join in congratulating Slaithwaite Junior and Infant School on their work. Climate change education and action really does inspire the next generation and we will continue to support it.”
Sycamore Class teacher Chris Hudson said: “Reading Floodland led us to look at some of the causes of climate change and what we can do to fight it.
“We had also been learning about persuasive writing, so we decided to put pen to paper, choosing our vocabulary carefully and using punctuation very precisely. The children were really enthusiastic about this task.”
Mr Hudson said some of the class thought he was joking about sending the letters off, and were surprised to see him set off to take them to the postbox one lunchtime.
He added: “What started out as a writing lesson reached the corridors of power in Parliament. It made the children realise that one person can make a difference and that it’s important to stand up for what you believe in.
“Hopefully this is only the start of their journey in promoting change for the better.”
The school, which has Eco-School Green Flag status for its sustainability credentials, emphasises the importance of respecting the environment.
Green-minded activities involve each class spending half a day a week in the school’s woodland, planting and exploring nature.
