Climate protests: Should you be allowed to protest even if it means missing school?

Should you be allowed to miss school to take part in a protest?

Over the past two years children across the world have been taking to the streets each Friday to demand that more needs to be done to tackle climate change.

This Friday thousands of children are expected to join the march in Glasgow, which is taking place as the COP26 conference is held in the city.

Scotland's Children and Young People's Commissioner Bruce Adamson says he supports this, even it means missing lessons to take part, saying he considers protesting "part of education".

Bruce Adamson has been Scotland's Children and Young People's Commissioner since 2017

Speaking to Newsround he said: "The UN committee on the rights of the child has recognised that protest is an important part of education. Education doesn't just happen in the classroom.

"Being part of a protest is often one of the first ways in which children and young people actually learn about democratic processes and challenge and schools should be supporting that and building it into education."

Mr Adamson has even attended school strikes himself in the past, and earlier this year wrote to every Director of Education in Scotland asking them to support children taking part in the global climate strikes.

He added: "School-based education is also very important but when you're passionate and a human rights defender about something like climate justice, then absolutely being out of school and protesting is legitimate and it's part of education."

It's not just the UK where children have been taking to the streets in school strikes, but around the world!

The Scottish Government meanwhile, haven't taken a clear stance on the issue of students missing school to attend the strikes.

They have instead said: "We are pleased to see our young people actively engaging on the issue of climate change but student absence is rightly a matter for individual schools and local authorities to consider."

The Children's Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza has a slightly different take on the issue.

She told Newsround: "I was a headteacher and a teacher for many years so I really do think school is important. It would be very hard for me to say miss school, but I do understand the passion behind it."

Dame Rachel de Souza is England's Children's Commissioner

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is expected to take part in the march on Friday, after being spotted with other campaigners around Glasgow during the first week of the conference.

Mr Adamson said he has been working alongside the police to make sure children can feel safe when they attend protests like Fridays for Future, or other campaign events.

He said: "Police Scotland should be working with you [children], schools, and the local authority should be working with you to make sure you can protest in person or online."