Some UK schools say they want to prepare children for the future “threatening climate change” and have urged their students to give priority to secondhand Christmas jumpers.

A month after the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow (Scotland), British schools are banning glitter and considering how to celebrate the holiday season in a more eco-friendly way.

At Portsmouth High School for girls in the south of England, for the first time, pupils were asked to swap out old Christmas jumpers with each other instead of buying new ones, respecting the tradition of “Christmas jumpers” without contributing to pollution. a way of.

“It was really welcomed by the parents, but also by the girls. They’re quite concerned about the environment and[…]able to use it the following year,’ director Jane Prescott told the PA agency.

Glitter is also not allowed in this private establishment due to its effect on the environment. For the same reason, Graham Frost, the headmaster of Robert Ferguson Primary School in Carlisle (North of England), has also banned non-biodegradable glitter, which is sometimes used in artistic pursuits.

A “growing sentiment” among school principals

The school principal hopes, “If more schools adopt this line, school supply companies will think very carefully about providing products that are more in line with our environmental concerns.”

He believes that “there is a ‘growing feeling’ among school principals that “it is imperative that we become a force for change and, to a lesser extent, a force of influence. To prepare our children for the future “threats from climate change”.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of Schools and Colleges Principals, said that “Schools give a high priority to the environment in general and the environment in particular to their students, who rightly feel the need to A greener world”.

“The recent COP26 Climate Change Conference has fueled this interest, and Christmas provides a great opportunity to channel this enthusiasm into practical activities,” he said.