Year 7 the lost generation

[Marzipan12]

I've heard this a few times now, the thinking is that year 7 have missed out more than anybody else. This annoys me surely at this point every year group has missed out. My child is year 8, missed over an entire term of year 7, disrupted learning so far in year 8 and home learning for half a term. Every other year group has missed the same. Some year 7 parents think their kids have missed out more, regardless that they had time back in school to finish year 6 and didn't miss an entire term of their first year in high school. I would say this puts year 7 at an advantage over other year groups. They certainly are not the lost generation that some are making them out to be in fact they are one of the more fortunate year groups.

I've just accepted it for what it is but if we are arguing over who has had it worse then.. My son is now in year 7, he missed everything about year 6, no week away, no overnight camping on the school field, no end of term play which they had all be auditioning for. He then started year 7 with no induction day, no sports weekend where you get to try out for the teams, no night away, having to stay in his form class for everything, no moving around the school so that now 6 months on he has only set foot into 2 classrooms.

But then kids starting in reception never had time to proper settle in and make real friends, kids in years 10 upwards have missed out on exams that they have put so much work into. Kids in year 9 missed out on work experience.

It could go on and on, everyone has missed out on something.

I said something similar (although not as dramatic!) about the current Year 6s. They missed out on half of Year 5 and have got one term to prepare for secondary school in September. I don't think they're a "lost generation" by any stretch but I do have concerns over relatives this age who seem too immature to be in charge of organising themselves, getting public transport etc in a few months. They also don't seem to "know enough" to be starting secondary education but hopefully they'll catch up this term (although we're in Wales so Drakeford might just lock us down again for a laugh).

As others have said though, each year group has its own challenges from the current situation.

I voted YABU because I’ve got no idea what a Y7 is. It’s really handy to explain to those of us not in England what this actually means.

I’ve a teenager. Her highers were cancelled, so her “results” were based primarily on prelims which she took in the middle of a mental health crisis. She had totally turned it round but the school couldn’t evidence it unfortunately so her 5As for medicine turned into 3Bs and 2Cs meaning there was no point in even applying. She ended up in a mental health facility. All her teachers say she lost out and didn’t get the grades she deserved but their hands were tied.
Now her advanced higher exams are also cancelled.
She’s struggling to motivate herself to get out of bed and is on antidepressants.

Y7 are 11-12 year olds. First year of secondary school which is y7-y11 in some schools and y7-13 in others.

@RedGoldAndGreene

Y7 are 11-12 year olds. First year of secondary school which is y7-y11 in some schools and y7-13 in others.

That’s very helpful thank you

A year group is not a generation. The original lost generation included my grandparents who came of age during WW1. My grandad was sent to the western front where he saw and participated in numerous atrocities resulting in life-long mental illness that impacted on my grandma who bore the brunt of his violence, It also impacted on his daughters (inc. my mother, resulting in her poor mental health) and ended with his death from early-onset dementia.

Your DC has had a year away from formal face-to-face schooling for a year.

See the difference?

The lost generation is all the children who were in full time school a year ago. They have all missed out on so much. I am a retired teacher and a grandmother. My youngest dgc missed out on end of yr6 and a chunk of yr7. His brother missed out on a chunk of year 8 and some of yr9 including choosing options (done online). Another dgc missed GCSEs. Two had their first and second years at University disrupted.
We need to ensure that life gives them all back the best educational opportunities possible.

Not just them, what about all.the university students ! Missing out on that new experience away from home and Freshers etc

Turning it into a misery-off doesn't help anyone. Everyone has struggled in different ways, and nearly all children have lost out one way or another. Mostly, parents feel the loss for the age children that they have as that's closest to home. I don't think you should vilify a particular set of parents for feeling that way.

I agree that the exam years are of particular concern though.

Just for balance - i have a yr 2 child and I’m never going to argue he’s the worst hit - once of the most fortunate if anything as he did go back in the summer and is early enough on to catch up on learning.

To an extent I agree because I think (from the perspective of having a Y1 and a toddler) that Y6/7 is where kids normally start gaining a lot more independence in their learning, journeys to school and social lives but as a result of the pandemic they have been kept at home with all their interactions and learning much more controlled and constrained - you can let a y7 get the public bus/train home in normal times, plus they're too young for unfettered access to social media especially chat options but they could be chatting freely in the playground. It's very much a formative time socially, far more than educationally.

To be honest I'm more concerned about the reduction in social skills than whether children have achieved the arbitrary "level" of education that they should be at at this age.

@YetAnotherSpartacus not even a year 2 terms over 2 year groups.
The only kids that have had a whole year off is the ones who shielded the entire time due to health.

Trouble - I guess I didn't register that.

It was just the use of 'Lost Generation' without its very real and very horrible historical context that got me.

I read on another forum, a guy came forward and said he missed out on 4 years schooling in former Yugoslavia. He’s doing ok! I know it’s a cliche but kids are resilient!

So dramatic. It’s not a competition as to who’s had it worse through all of this. Every single person has been affected in one way or another, this includes babies, school children, young adults, middle-aged, elderly! These kinds of pity parties really grate on me.

Think of it this, they will are now well adjusted to the new world of working for home.

Is this a competition? Bizarre. For what it's worth, there is no way year 8 is the hardest done by.

Stupid iPad-

Think of it this way, they are now well adjusted to the new world of working from home.

I voted YABU as it isn't a competition as to who has had the worst deal. And I have a Yr8 boy who has suffered a lot socially because of this lockdown.

Fucking hell - they have all missed a year. All had disruption. All faced the hell of 2020-21.

Why does it have to be a specific year group who has had it worse? Really? FFS give yourself a talking to! All year groups have missed out on key elements. We really don't need to put one year group at the top of the "Woe is me" pile. We really don't.

I agree that this year's Y7s (including my own) have not had the best start to secondary school life, and I really feel too for current Y8s, not to mention GCSE and A level years who have the most disruption at school.

My heart really goes out though to University students, particularly current 2nd years, who had a shit 1st year, and can't have imagined that this year would be just as shit. When I think of my own University experience (sometime back in Days of Yore....), Freshers' Week, going out on campus and in student-land in Leeds, tutorials, massive lecture halls etc, I could weep for them.

I initially voted yanbu as I agree that year 7s aren't necessarily the worst affected. However, I have since changed my vote to yabu because you're being so weirdly competitive about it.

My son didn't get any time in school to finish year 6. Many didn't as the schools still had to open for key workers and it took them over quota for the current legislation.

My son has been in year 7 for 6 months. He's never had a proper science lesson. Never had a proper lunchtime. Still terrified of his huge school because he's never been shown around it.

Yes, they've been short changed more than some other year groups. I've a child in reception who has been miserable too. I've a year 9 who has missed out on loads. Just not as much as my year seven.

Reception class have missed out on their last full year of child led play

Year one have missed out on the bridging year between reception and proper school.

Year six missed out on the fun activities, being the older ones and taking the responsibilities associated with that.

Year seven missed out on a gentle start to secondary and the independence it brings

Year nine have had to pick their options with very limited experience

Year ten have missed half their GCSE

Year eleven, they've missed most of their GCSE

6th form, they should be having parties, doing Saturday jobs and getting pissed off at authority, not hiding at home in masks

University kids: literally paying to be sent to a prison like environment

Not sure who has it worse but none have had it easy.

@Marzipan12

Every year group has missed out on formative experiences. Every year group has missed out on school clubs, science labs time, food tech, wood work, music suites.

Just none so much as your child, it seems? 🤔

OP I agree Year 7 arent but neither are Year 8 who have had 2 terms of normal high school and one extra term of abnormal (which I expect across the board was pretty useless).

Both of these years pretty much completed Primary school and have enough time at High School to catch up.

As I said before the Years (outside of Uni) that are really problematic I think are

Current Reception/Year 1
Current Year 6 (missed both vital upper KS2 stuff and a lot of transition stuff and noticeably schools are moving onto focus on Year 5 who will be doing SATs)

Years 11, 12 and 13 who have missed so much important learning that they have very little room to fix before they leave. Are getting results based on who knows what and have had the social side curtailed and a time it should be increasing

If we are going to produce a lost generation it is the 15-21 years olds who frankly I think were already floundering a little with Social Media/Online stuff anyway