Shameful treatment of children

[CottageGardener]

Taster days cancelled, work experience cancelled, sports days cancelled, exams cancelled, fetes cancelled, extra curriculum activities cancelled, end of year school assembly cancelled, transition day cancelled, trips cancelled, proms cancelled, the list goes on....

For a virus that 80% of the population now have antibodies for. The kids will never have a chance to do some of these things again. SHAMEFUL.

Compassion and empathy don’t have uniform levels though do they? I’m disappointed for everything that has been affected this past year for my reception aged dd and I share everything that she feels from her limited perspective of experience. Her disappointments are much larger to her mind than mine but I can empathise with that. Ultimately though, my compassion doesn’t extend much past sympathising and trying to make the best of what we can.

My empathy and compassion are different for my df who has spent the last year hundreds of miles away, vulnerable and isolated. Again my empathy is different for my friend and her DH who have been left with health problems and thoroughly traumatised by their time as inpatients with covid during the peak of January.

None of these consequences exist in isolation and all overlap in some way or another. It’s perfectly possible to recognise what people have been subject to without having to compare it someone else’s experience. They all exist within their own right and having compassion for one situation doesn’t negate compassion for another.

@JaniieJones

I’m sorry but blind naive optimism usually involves dismissing other’s real concerns

You seriously think when people are worried about the interactions that have been available for children and how that may be impacting their development, the best response is to say ‘it was worse in the war / it’s not that bad’

My friend is a speech therapist....currently overwhelmed with 3-4 year olds. But yeah....don’t worry a lack language acquisition isn’t such a bad thing....at least they’ll be able to text and write to communicate

I’m sorry but blind naive optimism usually involves dismissing other’s real concerns

Exactly, and if we deny the existence of the problem, which so many people clearly are, it absolves us of having to do anything about it. Which seems to be the government’s strategy where kids are concerned. As per my post upthread, I’m not holding my breath for any extra funding to deal with the wave of S&L, developmental, behavioural and mental health issues that will shortly be hitting Reception classes and Early Years settings.

@noblegiraffe

Other countries haven't had this level of lockdown

Other countries haven’t had our level of deaths. Mismanagement by the government has lead us here once again.

If they had introduced mitigation measures in schools, spent any money on measures in schools at all (not even paying for hand sanitiser, let alone money to improve ventilation which is acknowledged to be crucial) instead of lying about and covering up the spread in schools both before Christmas and now, things might have looked different. Of course not closing the border to India was a massive error too.

And on this thread, in all the rage, I can’t see anything criticising the pitiful level of catch-up funding the government is providing to our children to make up for their disrupted education. One tenth of what was deemed necessary.

Why are people complaining about missing sports day instead of the missing billions for catch-up?

Oh noblegiraffe can you really not understand why people would like sports day to go ahead? You sound devoid of empathy. With a basic amount of emotional intelligence you will be able to see that children have missed out more than any other population group. Missed out vital time in education, missed out on socialising with their peers, doing sports, progressing in competitive sports. The number of children in the UK who live in poverty has increased (many women had to give up their jobs when school closed for a third time in January); the number of children with mental health issues has increased (many of these children developed mental health problems as a very obvious result of lockdown). Career progressions of many parents have stalled due to lockdown, in fact parents' mental health has take a beating due to school closures and home schooling and it's the kids that will experience the negative effects of that. All of this is happening while children are developing so it's time that can never be returned to them. Sure, for some home schooling was fine, some private schools had good provisions but that just further widens the opportunity gap.

Why are people complaining about missing sports day instead of the missing billions for catch-up? for most people, especially those who are not as fortunate as to be educated and clued in with politics and policy making, what the tangibly experience is that sports day has been cancelled, after school clubs have gone banalised for ever and that is precisely why they complain about that rather than millions nit being put into education as you put it.

Why so non understanding and judgemental?

Children's needs have been trampled on in this country and one of therein reason for this is school closure. May it school never happen again.

And on this thread, in all the rage, I can’t see anything criticising the pitiful level of catch-up funding the government is providing to our children to make up for their disrupted education. One tenth of what was deemed necessary.

Why are people complaining about missing sports day instead of the missing billions for catch-up?

I think many parents are worried about catch -up.

However I think MN demographic is probably more to intervention side - if not private schools, tutors then very least parental help and on-line resources.

We spent time and enegy making sure our kids didn't fall behind - mixed of free and paid resouces. Though sadly I've been slightly horrified how much support, time and money we've had to put in at home before covid to support our children - and watched kids without that stay behind and clearly covid just made all that worse.

Many of the lost opportunites people are talking about here we either can't replace or can't afford to do ourselves - and in our area there are many worse off than us. Plus my children are aging out of things and getting past what are considered miles stone events that won't come around for them again.

So I agree catch-up is a massive issue, the government has made huge mistakes and ventlation in schools really should be a priorty.

However there's a lot of opportunties in this area that are slowly going and aren't looking like they are coming back - it's the council swimimng free and paid for lessons and even some of the pools haven't re-opened, other sports activies they put on in school holidays, music groups, school trips, guides looks like it's gone - work experience/volunteering opportunities, summer schools not happening or on-line - careers fairs, childen theater group is winding up apparently.

There seems to be a lack of any end in sight as well.

*clubs have gone banalised
Have closed for ever

Gah, may school closure NEVER happen again. EVER.

'I’m sorry but blind naive optimism usually involves dismissing other’s real concerns'

No no I disagree one does not follow the other at all! Stop being so negative

For example dc 'no prom this year I can't believe if it isn't fair omg', me 'Yes it is shit but you'll have one when you finish college which will be better as you can all legally drink. Have a party on the beach/park/back garden instead'. Not perfect but a compromise. I've said it before but how parents put things to their dc has a direct effect on their ability to cope.

If the Government continue to stop normal life then I believe the "cure" is worse than the disease - long term impact on education and socialisation of the younger generation. It is a question of risk and balance - first lockdown fine but now we are into a situation where the measures are unnecessary and the benefits do not justify the measures

'There must be a lot of isolated young people and vitamin d deficiency as they are all slumped in their bedrooms on social media.'

Vit D deficiency 😂. It has been 20c for days get them outdoors fgs!

Having Gavin Williamson as advocate for education means that kids were always going to be fucked and considered lower priority than football and golf.

Considering that it's the summer, you'd think that there were solutions to some of those problems like holding them after the summer term ended or having them outdoors so there's no crossing bubble issue. Aren't year 6 getting the transition summer schools from the money promised by the government? Our secondary always has the y7 and y12 in a day or two before the rest of the school as transition days and are having the prom at school so that it didn't matter if June 21 didn't happen.

Our secondary is holding sports days and Leavers Assemblies - is that unusual? They are not doing whole school sports days but having fields mean that they could have events for each bubble iyswim.

@KeepMakingJam

I suggest you read some of noble's threads before you are so rude and insulting.

Her compassion for the children in her care and their families has been a highlight of this pandemic for many. She has kept us informed of what is actually happening and researching articles.

All you've done is whine.

For example dc 'no prom this year I can't believe if it isn't fair omg', me 'Yes it is shit but you'll have one when you finish college which will be better as you can all legally drink. Have a party on the beach/park/back garden instead'. Not perfect but a compromise. I've said it before but how parents put things to their dc has a direct effect on their ability to cope.

Why do some posters constant seem to be trying to imply parents with concerns aren't already doing this.

Of course were doing this constantly - with everything from family holidays, not being able to see DGP - we have webchats - it's been 18 months of inferior substitutes and looking forward to future.

But end never seems to be in sight always moves further into future and other things seem to be priortised.

[quote DancesWithTortoises]@KeepMakingJam

I suggest you read some of noble's threads before you are so rude and insulting.

Her compassion for the children in her care and their families has been a highlight of this pandemic for many. She has kept us informed of what is actually happening and researching articles.

All you've done is whine.[/quote]
Naaa, I don't like the tone, thank you.

@TotorosCatBus

Our secondary is holding sports days and Leavers Assemblies - is that unusual? They are not doing whole school sports days but having fields mean that they could have events for each bubble iyswim.

It seems hugely varriable what can and can't be done - which given staff levels and school layouts and other things schools are dealing with - is understandable.

I assume our senior school is getting a shocking amount money to run summer school it appears be run by private company called team camps.
Possibly owned by freind ,relative donor of government minister..
The offer includes a free lunch and snacks.
Possible 1 trip
Free scientific calculator and free kindle.

Transition day is cancelled today so those who don't go summer school be at disadvantage.

I guess its just year 7 on site in summer no other year groups.

For a pp to moan about a baby cafe being shut when she is free to meet in a normal cafe is a typical example of some mnetters waah mentality.

That was me. It was a local community enterprise which operates as a play cafe for preschoolers and support groups (which were free) for parents of babies and small children. It was a lifeline for parents in my community, many of whom don’t have the funds (especially in current economic climate) to spend on expensive classes. Going to Costa or something is absolutely NOT the same and it’s completely disingenuous to make the comparison.

THIS is what is marking you out as lacking compassion and empathy. This dismissal of “oh it’s just a singalong!* about one example in a long list of things which have harmed young children and their parents.

Why do some posters constant seem to be trying to imply parents with concerns aren't already doing this.

I agree @randomlyLostInWales
It is incredibly naive and faux superior.

Meanwhile, their fake optimism misses the fact that children have actually lost vital milestones that directly impact their futures and development

A child who becomes behind in language acquisition is not an easy thing to reverse. Indeed there is a critical period when it cannot be reversed.

The number of illiterate children going up to High School this year is literally, as the OP points out, shameful.

I am so pig sick of the useless optimism and 'managing'. It hides very real problems that are backing up. And anyone who calls for school closures in the future, even if rate go higher, is just a stupid twat. Stupid in the real sense of the word.

[quote DancesWithTortoises]@KeepMakingJam

I suggest you read some of noble's threads before you are so rude and insulting.

Her compassion for the children in her care and their families has been a highlight of this pandemic for many. She has kept us informed of what is actually happening and researching articles.

All you've done is whine.[/quote]
All I've ever seen from Giraffe is concern for herself and teachers.

A child who becomes behind in language acquisition is not an easy thing to reverse. Indeed there is a critical period when it cannot be reversed

Suboptimal early speech and language acquisition is the most critical factor in school exclusions further down the line, according to a colleague who runs the local PRU. Not sure how statistically accurate this is, but it’s certainly a significant factor and will have numerous knock-on effects.

I am so pig sick of the useless optimism and 'managing'. It hides very real problems that are backing up. And anyone who calls for school closures in the future, even if rate go higher, is just a stupid twat. Stupid in the real sense of the word

I was vaguely with you until this paragraph. There is little value in ignoring the wider situation either. Open schools and a collapsing health system has its own impact on children, although I do believe that this scenario won’t be necessary again if vaccinations continue perform how they are.

I agree with all of the issues you’ve raised but I can’t agree that optimism is inherently useless. We’re not in a position to prevent much now, the damage has already happened, there has to be a will to move forward and repair what can be repaired otherwise we are failing children further. No it won’t be ideal, but succumbing to the idea that it’s all gone to shit and not being able to move past that isn’t constructive.

No it won’t be ideal, but succumbing to the idea that it’s all gone to shit and not being able to move past that isn’t constructive.

I have to admit some of the media's 'the lost covid generation' narrative is unhelpful and even my teens eye roll at it now.

I am frustrated though there doesn't seem to be a clear exit for children's schools, services and activies.