CANDI to Join Global Climate Strike on Friday

City and Islington College will enable students to attend the Global Climate Strike this Friday, says Capital City College Group CEO Roy O’Shaughnessy. In a recent conversation with education magazine Tes (formerly the Times Educational Supplement), he set a bold precedent ahead of this week’s strike.

The strike will run from 20 September until 27 September and invites young people all across the country to join in protest of “the age of fossil fuels”. In their words: “Our house is on fire – let’s act like it. We demand climate justice for everyone.”

The nationwide event is inspired by Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old activist making headlines for challenging governments around the world to acknowledge their environmental impact.

In support of the strike, Mr O’Shaughnessy told Tes: “Climate change is the main environmental issue today, and we are committed to exposing our students and staff to the democratic process and creating internal debate on how to be a responsible citizen when diverse views are involved.

“The modern study programme for learners aged 16-19 goes well beyond studying the core academic materials: we feel that students should take involvement in youth social action, finding ambitious ways to act and reflect on the issues of our times. This is one way we can help students to relate their studies back to the broader society they’re working for and are part of.”

City and Islington College is no stranger to the issue of sustainability, trailblazing a new scheme with the Green Schools Project this year to help improve facilities at the Angel site. Starting in October, students at the Centre for Applied Sciences will have the opportunity to work with university students to perform an audit of the college, identifying challenges across the centre and providing green alternatives.

Programme leader Lucy Chapman said: “It’s an opportunity to develop a culture of enrichment at the centre. Students care about sustainability, so modelling that into a formal project-orientated programme is the goal.”

Capital City College Group is comprised of City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, as well as employer and apprenticeship training provider Capital City College Training. Across the three colleges, the Group encompasses 37,000 students and around 1,750 staff, all of whom will have the opportunity to attend the walkout later this week.

Students will be permitted to attend the strike on the condition that lost class time is made up later in the term. All colleges will remain open as usual for students not wishing to attend. Read more about the Global Climate Strike.

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