Islington Tribune - News: ‘Climate cops are fascist throwback’

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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 23 November 2007

‘Climate cops are fascist throwback’

Historian claims initiative turns pupils into spies

PRIMARY schoolchildren are being encouraged to “spy” on their parents in a manner reminiscent of fascist times, it was claimed this week.
Historian Tim Newark, who lives in Highbury, spoke out after learning of a scheme launched last week at Thornhill Primary School in Barnsbury, encouraging children to turn “climate cop” at home.
Pupils are to look out for taps left running, full kettles boiled for just one cup of tea, and lights left on in empty rooms.
Mr Newark, who has challenged Islington Council’s environment policy in the past, said: “I have a child at school and I get annoyed with the level of propaganda that’s pushed out about climate change.
“Our children, who are so vulnerable, should have a much more balanced view about climate change and the idea that they are going to use this scheme to inform on their parents is really like something out of 1984.”
He added: “These extremists have been dressed up in acceptable clothing. It’s a dreadful throwback to fascist times. Schools should be more balanced.
“It’s a dreadful initiative, which should be brought to a halt.”
Thornhill Primary is the first school in the country to set up a Climate Cop Academy, part of a £20 million programme run by energy firm npower. Children can print out “crime” cards from a website which encourage them to search their homes and to build up an energy efficiency case file.
Thornhill headteacher Matt Chappel said: “The idea is to empower children to take responsibility for being more aware of these issues and to give feedback to adults.
“I don’t think it was intended to have them spy on parents. They will come and tell us in a polite way. I’m very happy for children to tell me I can do more in school. They are called climate cops because they are policing the climate, not parent cops.”
An npower spokesman said: “I don’t apologise if a bit of pester-power goes home with the kids but I don’t see George Orwell looming round the corner.
“We called them climate cops because we want the kids to investigate things. Thornhill is a classic example of a Victorian building and its energy efficiency is not good. So we’ve been talking to the headteacher about what we can do there.”

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