TEENAGE eco warrior Joe Brindle is delighted with the response from MPs to a bid to get climate change made a compulsory part of the school curriculum.

The 17-year-old sixth former at Devizes School helped launched the campaign group Teach The Future and last week they launched the climate emergency education bill in a parliamentary committee room in Westminster.

He believes the high-profile meeting which led to him appearing on national TV and gaining support in high places could bring about a real difference.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has agreed to meet Teach The Future next week.

Joe said: “We can hardly believe we have got to this stage so quickly. If he agrees to taking on the bill it will be fantastic.

“We could hardly have hoped to have had this break through so quickly. We only started putting the plan together in October.”

He was delighted with the response from those at the parliamentary meeting who gathered to hear Nadia Whittome, the UK’s youngest MP introduce the bill.

He said: “It was really successful. We took the names of 59 MPs who attended but there were others that we didn’t get the chance to speak to so we think there were more than 70 altogether.

“There were representatives from all the parties. The Labour Party members were mainly supportive but some of the Conservatives were sceptical.

“But I was very pleased that South Wiltshire MP Andrew Murrison was there and I had a chance to speak to him.

“At first he didn’t seem to be on board but by the end he seemed to be fully supportive.

“I also spoke to Chippenham MP Michelle Donelan and she asked a lot of questions but didn’t really give her own view.”

Joe, who is the son of Keith Brindle the vicar of St James’ Church, Devizes and is leader of Devizes School’s climate chance group is a campaigner for the UK Student Climate Network.

He helped form the campaign group Teach The Future which is supported by the National Union of Students.

It is calling for a government commissioned review into how the whole of the English formal education system is preparing students for the climate emergency and ecological crisis

Inclusion of the climate emergency and ecological crisis in teacher training and a new professional teaching qualification.

It wants an Egnlish Climate Emergecncy Education Act, a national climate emergency youth voice grant fund, a national Youth Climate Endowment Fund, for all new state-funded educational buildings should be net-zero from 2022 and all existing state-funded educational buildings net-zero by 2030.

Joe helped start Teach the Future to campaign for a sustainable education system, after being inspired by the global school strikes that began in 2018.

He said: “We feel the education system is wasting our time, because we’re facing the biggest issue of our time, and our education isn’t even touching on it.”

Last summer Joe met climate activist Greta Thunberg in Lausanne, Switzerland, and was inspired to follow her example. He said: “It was very inspirational and I came back even more determined to make a difference.”

He also met David Attenborough at the House of Lords. Joe said: “He seemed impressed with what we are doing. I want to be wildlife programme maker so it was amazing to meet him.”