A SURVEY carried out by environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth found that only 10 per cent of parents with a child of school age were worried about their child breathing dirty air while on school grounds, or on their way to or from school.

This is despite the regular news headlines on the dangers of the UK’s air pollution, and numerous studies concluding the impact it can have on children’s lungs.

These worrying results come as Friends of the Earth launches the latest edition of its Clean Air Schools pack; inviting schools everywhere to monitor air quality around them and engage children, parents and teachers in the fight for clean air.

With the risks of breathing toxic air still slipping under the radar of many parents, Friends of the Earth is calling for a range of measures, including Clean Air Zones, to fight air pollution and improve the health of children’s lungs everywhere.

These findings also highlight the need for better public health communications when it comes to the risks of children breathing toxic air – especially when exposed to vehicle fumes outside the school gates.

The free Friends of the Earth’s Clean Air Schools pack has already equipped 950 schools with air quality monitoring tubes that test Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels, and taught pupils campaigning skills to make their voices heard: including how to write a persuasive letter to politicians and how to run a poster competition to raise awareness in their school.

Schools can order a clean air schools pack from Friends of the Earth at: https://act.friendsoftheearth.uk/act/order-your-clean-air-schools-pack .