Weaponising the most vulnerable children

[2021hasalowbenchmarktobebetter]

I am absolutely sick of seeing MPs and members of the public using "the most vulnerable" children as a reason to get their own way about schools.

Unlike most MPs and members of the public, I have actually been working with this group of society for two decades.

If people genuinely and generally cared about these children and felt that they were the highest priority group in the whole of society, why did MPs implement (and people vote for them to continue implementing)
-Sure Start centre closures
-the benefit cap
-benefits freezes
-the bedroom tax
-council cuts, leading to reduced numbers of social workers, SEN workers, SEN funding
-almost total decimation of youth workers and youth centres
-reduced youth offending team support
-changes in SEN laws which have disproportionately reduced provision for those economically disadvantaged children without articulate and educated parents
-changes to GCSEs which the DfE's own impact assessment (and subsequent GCSE results) evidenced disproportionately negative impact on economically disadvantaged students and those with SEN
-education funding cuts in real terms
-only a tiny proportion of laptops and routers being given to schools in the autumn term
-schools not being reimbursed for measures to make schools safer, including hand gel, cleaning products etc.
-abolishing educational maintenance allowance

• raising tuition fees?

It took a footballer to get the government to agree to fund holiday meals for these children and I didn't sense a massive amount of concern from many people about why that would need to be the case.

Handwringing about how school staff and unions daring to ask for better and safer conditions is so selfish because "of the vulnerable children" is just the epitome of hypocrisy.

Be honest and say it's inconvenient for working parents, by all means, and (for MPs) how it will make economic recovery difficult if people can't work. But most people need to stop pretending that their concern is for the most vulnerable children. They're not human shields.

If society really wants to protect the most vulnerable children, the last ten years have been a very weird way of showing it.

Relating to mental health, some of my most able but anxious pupils adored the lack of social and academic pressure during lockdown, and are struggling more now that they’re back and dealing with the uncertainty around whether exams will take place or not. Their worry is that every piece of work might count if we have to submit assessed grades again, so the pressure is never off.

The ones who did no work and were most vulnerable during the first lockdown were visited and phoned to make sure they were ok. Those struggling with mental health were given phone support. Not perfect but we did what we could, as I am sure most schools did.

The most difficult thing for most teens’ mental health at the moment is feeling like even the adults are not in control and there is no coherent plan.

@SonjaMorgan

Those vulnerable children are written off at birth. The comments Boris previously made about children of single mothers lets you know exactly what he thinks of people not like him.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/election-boris-johnson-articles-women-women-journalist-spectator-labour-a9221036.html

These comments?

But doesn't he already have quite a lot of children most of whom are now effectively in one parent households?

@TaxTheRatFarms absolutely spot-on

I am fascinated by (and impressed by and jealous of) how many of our outside services, including social services and the SEN services, have declined anything face-to-face since September because “it’s not safe”. Obviously didn’t get the memo about the magic forcefield surrounding schools to repel the virus

But schools are expected to and will try to pick up the pieces.

That’s why the school-bashing that we don’t care about the vulnerable rankles so much. We’re one of the few sectors that really do and are going above and beyond in most cases.

Not saying that the outside services don’t care, by the way, and their stance is sensible and rational, just that we’ve hardly been sitting back and whistling while vulnerable children crumble.

@herecomesthsun

He is special and exceptional, though...
Even his own rules and comments don't apply to him.

@SonjaMorgan

Those vulnerable children are written off at birth. The comments Boris previously made about children of single mothers lets you know exactly what he thinks of people not like him.

And yet he does so much to create more single mothers

Brilliant post OP. Agree 100%.

@BoobsOnTheMoon

Couldn't agree more.

My child is disabled, he has an EHCP and needs full time 1-1 support. He hasn't had a full time school place for 2 fucking years.

Nobody gave a shit. His mental health was never a priority. The impact on his education has repeatedly been waved away with "he's bright, he will catch up".

When I hear people saying "oh but kids with an EHCP will still have a school place" it makes me rage. Thousands of children with EHCPs don't have a school place even pre-pandemic. But where was the outrage then?

This 100 per fucking cent

Similar situation here, ds ehcp since 4 years old had full time early years funding from 2 years old.

He’s had more part time education than full and he’s 7, I’ve complained to anyone who will listen and nothing is done. No one gives a shiny shit.

Waiting on specialist school (attends mainstream chucked outside with 2-1 support for 3 hours a day and they still can’t cope) no special needs schools with a place anywhere here or surrounding boroughs, most kids around here have no school for 2 years + until they can get a SS place.

Disgrace.

👏👏👏👏👏

Hear, hear 👏

Most of these people gave zero fucks about our children pre-covid, and only 'care' now because it affects them and their families.

Many parents have been unable to work for years due to caring responsibilities and lack of support, with absolutely NO home learning available, but I didn't see those unaffected people campaigning for awareness and help then.

I agree as a parent of a child with SEN who had no school place for 2 years and who has only part time school provision now. Noone gave a toss. People just shrugged. I have had to juggle work and home learning for ages. The day we got told my son would be at home, no one cared i had to reduce rmployment, learn to homeschool etc. Noone cared about his mental health not being around children. The average mumsnetter was pretty scathing about both parents not working full time and were very othering of children with SEN.

Agree 100 percent 10 years of cuts,for our children. Same people are just waking up because it’s NOW affecting them

I completely agree.

No one is suggesting the vulnerable children can't go to school anyway.

My dd has an EHCP and is in mainstream. Every single thing from diagnosis to provision has been a battle.
You're right that nobody cares about that until they want to make a point.
Dd got on well in lockdown. As @2021hasalowbenchmarktobebetter noted she was one of those anxious children who appreciated the lack of stress. School can be hugely stressful for autistic children.

What an interesting and intelligent post!

What if we support with all the things you suggest society should do, and have consistently voted against the conservatives, and still don’t want schools to close because we’re concerned about vulnerable children, not least our own? Is that allowed?

Here here OP. Great post. Also agree with Schrodingersunicorn that the same population is often the worst affected by covid, both economically and health wise.

Absolutely spot on OP.

Well said 👏 👌

100%

Closing schools again will be devastating for the most vulnerable children.

@NaughtipussMaximus

Totally. The people who genuinely care about their own and other children are not who I am directing my anger at.

Even people who voted for the Conservatives are allowed to be genuinely bothered - kind of inconsistent with how they voted, but people can vote for someone without necessarily agreeing with all of their policies, I guess.

@FreshFreesias

Schools will be remaining open for the most vulnerable.

Many parents have been unable to work for years due to caring responsibilities and lack of support, with absolutely NO home learning available, but I didn't see those unaffected people campaigning for awareness and help then.
I had a successful career but had to give it up to care for Dd when she was 5 , she’s now 17 and I’ve not been able to work since no one but no one has given us a second thought in all that time.

@2021hasalowbenchmarktobebetter

I am absolutely sick of seeing MPs and members of the public using "the most vulnerable" children as a reason to get their own way about schools.

Unlike most MPs and members of the public, I have actually been working with this group of society for two decades.

If people genuinely and generally cared about these children and felt that they were the highest priority group in the whole of society, why did MPs implement (and people vote for them to continue implementing)
-Sure Start centre closures
-the benefit cap
-benefits freezes
-the bedroom tax
-council cuts, leading to reduced numbers of social workers, SEN workers, SEN funding
-almost total decimation of youth workers and youth centres
-reduced youth offending team support
-changes in SEN laws which have disproportionately reduced provision for those economically disadvantaged children without articulate and educated parents
-changes to GCSEs which the DfE's own impact assessment (and subsequent GCSE results) evidenced disproportionately negative impact on economically disadvantaged students and those with SEN
-education funding cuts in real terms
-only a tiny proportion of laptops and routers being given to schools in the autumn term
-schools not being reimbursed for measures to make schools safer, including hand gel, cleaning products etc.
-abolishing educational maintenance allowance

• raising tuition fees?

It took a footballer to get the government to agree to fund holiday meals for these children and I didn't sense a massive amount of concern from many people about why that would need to be the case.

Handwringing about how school staff and unions daring to ask for better and safer conditions is so selfish because "of the vulnerable children" is just the epitome of hypocrisy.

Be honest and say it's inconvenient for working parents, by all means, and (for MPs) how it will make economic recovery difficult if people can't work. But most people need to stop pretending that their concern is for the most vulnerable children. They're not human shields.

If society really wants to protect the most vulnerable children, the last ten years have been a very weird way of showing it.

Well said!! Absolutely this. Im so tired of hearing vunerable children mantra. Where were you when it was the summer holidays? The vunerable children were at home in awful circumstances. Did you once think about them? Not a jot! As you sun yourself on your holiday.

OP, both you and TaxTheRatFarms are absolutely spot on.

I'll be so interested to see whether, following all this, education is such a political hot potato next time the electorate heads to the voting booths. It's not like teachers, unions, social workers and many, many others, haven't been trying to highlight these issues for years, but other issues, articulated in pithy sound bites, have seemingly always taken priority.

It's very much similar to the response I have always had to OFSTED and others complaining about the gap between students living in poverty and those who are richer: yes, of course the gap should narrow - but schools should be trying to narrow that gap with society, not in spite of it. So when children come to school hungry and dirty, and we clean and feed them, it's hard not to resent those who impose austerity and cuts, bake them into the system and then whinge about the outcomes.