Teenage activists should not skip school to demand action on climate change - and should protest at the weekend instead, the Education Secretary has said,
Nadhim Zahawi warned parents could face fines if pupils miss class to go to demos at the COP26 climate summit.
Thousands of young climate activists took to the streets of Glasgow on Friday, joined by 18-year-old campaigner Greta Thunberg who gained global fame with her school strikes to highlight the climate crisis.
Asked if he supported young people missing school to join the protests, he told Sky News: "No - I would rather they march on Saturday and Sunday.
"The summit is here for at least two weekends, so I would urge children not to miss school, not to miss class - we don't want to get into a situation where teachers and headteachers are having to issue fines for missing education.
"I would absolutely support them to do that this weekend and the weekend after, that is the way to continue to take the message to world leaders."
He added he wants young people to "think about their own career in science and technology and innovation" to tackle climate change, instead of protesting.
Mr Zahawi said: "I want to be able to I hope, inspire the young minds, on a Saturday or Sunday if they are here, to say: engage with us, because it's important that you are part of the solution as well as part of the pressure on world leaders."
Teachers will be told not to encourage students about campaigning groups like Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain, according to a new draft climate strategy.
The Government's draft sustainability and climate change strategy aims to "embed climate change evidence" into the school curriculum.
But the document, published today, said it would not be appropriate to encourage pupils to join specific campaigning groups or engage in specific political activity, such as protests."
Climate change is already taught in science and geography lessons in England as part of the curriculum.
The document says: "Teaching about climate change and the scientific facts and evidence behind this does not constitute teaching about a political issue and schools do not need to present misinformation or unsubstantiated claims to provide balance.
"However, in climate education there may be relevant political issues and partisan political views, for example on social and economic reform, that should be handled in line with schools' legal duties on political impartiality.
"Importantly, whilst schools should support pupils' interest in climate change and tackling both its causes and effects, it would not be appropriate to encourage pupils to join specific campaigning groups or engage in specific political activity, such as protests."
Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "School leaders know how passionate many young people are about the topic of climate change and they will want to support pupils to find ways to make their voices heard on the subjects that matter to them.
"Clearly there is a balance to be struck here and schools will look to find ways of ensuring pupils can discuss these issues and make their voices heard without disrupting learning or the school day."
