Teacher: Pollution is toxic for education

BIRMINGHAM PUPILS 'STRUGGLING TO BREATHE' AND FEELING TIRED

- STEPHANIE BALLOO News Reporter

CHILDREN in Birmingham are coming to school tired, struggling to breathe or even missing school altogether because of toxic air, a teacher has claimed.

A city school teacher, who worked in Perry Barr and Lozells, opened up on his first hand-experience, branding air pollution a “crisis that’s harming our health”.

Ibrahim Ali spoke of having to ‘step back’ from his career in teaching in a new Health Equals campaign urging the Government to prioritise action tackling air pollution.

Alarming new figures from its report this week revealed every school - all 506 - in Birmingham is failing World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on air pollution - with thousands of kids exposed to double the amount stipulated in guidelines.

Areas like Ladywood, Erdington and Perry Barr are among the worst affected in Britain, its data showed.