A “huge and concerning” college drop-out rate among adopted young people has led Adoption UK to call for governments in all four nations of the UK to rethink our education system.
Tag: education
First Minister focuses on return to education
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Tuesday 15 June):
Good afternoon, and thank you very much for joining us again today. I’ll start – as always – with an update on the key statistics in relation to COVID-19.
29 new positive cases were confirmed in Scotland yesterday. Now I’m going to say more about the total number of positive cases in a moment, because from today we are incorporating new data into that total.
A total of 870 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That represents a total decrease of 94 from yesterday, but an increase of 3 in the number of confirmed cases in hospital.
A total of 18 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is also an increase of 3 since yesterday.
And I can confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,909 patients who had tested positive and needed to go to hospital with the virus have been able to leave hospital.
In the last 24 hours, zero deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – so the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, therefore remains at 2,448.
I would however stress – as I did last Monday – that although this is clearly hugely welcome and very encouraging, it is nevertheless common for fewer deaths to be reported at weekends and unfortunately I do expect that we will almost certainly report further COVID-19 deaths in the days ahead.
And as always, I want to emphasis that when we do report these figures, they are not simply statistics – they represent individuals whose loss is a source of grief to many. So once again, I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.
I also want to express my thanks – as I always – to our health and care workers, and indeed to all key workers across the country. The Scottish Government and indeed I think people the length and breadth of the country are grateful to you for the work you are doing.
I’m going to focus on education in my remarks today, but before I do that, I want to highlight some new data which we are publishing for the first time today.
Up until now, we have only been able to publish testing results that come from NHS Scotland laboratories.
We have been able to report the total number of tests carried out by facilities run by the UK Government – for example drive-through centres and mobile testing units – but we have not yet been able to publish the breakdown of positive and negative results. Though I should say for the avoidance of doubt, the individuals tested have of course been notified directly of their results.
Public Health Scotland has been working with the UK Government to rectify this issue, and from today, we are able to provide daily figures for all tests in Scotland.
For example, we can see that of those people tested in the 24 hours up to 8 o’clock this morning, 29 positive cases were confirmed. Of those positive cases, 9 were from tests conducted at UK Government facilities, and 20 were from NHS Scotland facilities.
So In total, there have been 18,030 confirmed positive cases in Scotland since the beginning of this outbreak. 15,687 of these confirmed cases were tested in NHS Scotland laboratories and a further 2,343 were test through UK facilities.
Now I know that some people compare each days figures with the previous day’s very carefully. If you have been doing that, you will have expected the NHS lab number I’ve just given to be 88 cases higher than it is.
The reason it’s not is that where a person has been tested more than once – first at a UK facility and then in an NHS Scotland facility – we have removed them from the NHS figure to avoid double counting of testing.
It is also important to stress that including this data from UK facilities does not change the total number of lab confirmed COVID-19 deaths that we have been reporting throughout.
From Thursday onwards, we will be able to provide a more detailed breakdown of test results – by date and by region – on the Scottish Government’s website and I hope that this information will be helpful in giving a full picture of the progress that has been made on testing over the last three months.
Now as I indicated the main issue I want to talk about today is school education. And I want to address parents and young people very directly today. I know you are deeply anxious – as I am – about the impact of this crisis on schooling.
So I want to be very clear today about the some of the principles that we are working on and the Scottish Government’s expectations – and as we look forward to the new school year. I hope to leave you in no doubt about the priority I and the whole government attaches to making sure our young people do not lose out on education or have their life chances damaged as a result of this crisis that we are all living through right now.
So, firstly, I want to be clear that it is our expectation that, by the time schools return on 11 August – and obviously within necessary safety guidelines – councils will have put in place arrangements that maximise the time that young people spend in a school environment having face to face learning.
In this immediate period that we are in right now, the Scottish Government will be scrutinising council plans closely – and where we conclude that all possible steps have not been taken to maximise face to face teaching and learning, we will ask councils to reconsider and revise their plans.
Innovation and creativity will be required here – but let me also be clear that where there are genuine issues of resources, the Scottish Government will work with councils to address those and the quality of your children’s education will be the absolute priority in those discussions.
And then from the 11 August starting point, our aim will be to return to normal schooling as quickly as we possibly can – recognising that of course that along the way we need to build the confidence of parents, young people and teachers that schools are safe.
And I want to be particularly clear on this point. While we of course have a duty to be open with parents that none of us right now have a crystal ball, and that the path the pandemic will take in the months ahead remains uncertain, it is absolutely not the case that we are ‘planning’ for blended learning, with children learning at home for part of the school week, to last a year – or anything like it.
On the contrary, we do not want blended learning to last a single moment longer than is absolutely necessary and so we will be working with councils to return schools to normal as quickly as we can.
We want young people to be back having face to face teaching for 100% of the school week as soon as it is feasible.
To that end, our regular three-weekly reviews of the Coronavirus regulations will now include specific consideration of the evidence and data relating to transmission of the virus within schools and amongst young people – and where that suggests that safety restrictions can be lifted or eased without putting pupils and teachers at undue risk, we will do so.
As part of these reviews, we will ask our International Council of Education Advisers to consider experiences in other countries.
We will also be working with councils to ensure ongoing and enhanced support for any time that young people do spend learning at home.
And let me be clear it is our firm intention, as things stand right now, that next year’s exam diet will go ahead.
We will also be considering carefully how we work to address and mitigate and make up over time any impact of this crisis period on young people’s learning.
Ensuring that our children and young people have the highest quality education – and that life chances are not negatively impacted by what we are all living through right now – is of absolutely critical importance.
I want to give you my personal assurance that it is central to my and to the whole Government’s thinking as we plan and steer the country through our emergence from lockdown.
Before I hand over to the Chief Medical Officer, I want to end by emphasising again our key public health guidance because sticking to this guidance right now remains the most important way of enabling us to make further progress out of lockdown – which I very much hope we will do later this week.
You should still be staying home most of the time, and you should still be meeting fewer people than normal.
When you do meet people from another household, please stay outdoors, and stay 2 metres apart from them.
Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day – and keep to a maximum of eight people in a group.
Wash your hands often. Take hand sanitiser with you if you are away from home.
Wear a face covering when you are in shops or on public transport.
Avoid touching hard surfaces if you can and clean any that you do touch.
All of these measure – hand washing, surface cleaning and wearing face coverings – will all help us to reduce the risk as we start to return to more normal life.
Indeed – if anything – these measures become more important, not less important, as we move through this pandemic.
I’d ask all of you to bear that in mind.
And, just as importantly, if you have the symptoms of COVID-19 – a fever; a new cough; or a loss of, or change, in your sense of taste or smell – ask for a test immediately, and please follow the advice on self-isolation.
You can book a test at nhsinform.scot or by phoning NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.
Sticking to these rules- as you can see from the numbers we are reporting each day – has had and is having an impact. By doing the right thing, we are suppressing the virus.
We are saving lives.
And we are creating the firm foundations on which we can take further steps out of lockdown.
So my sincere thanks, to all of you once again, for continuing to abide by these rules and by this guidance.
Council announces back to school plans
Detailed arrangements are being put in place by the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure the safest return possible for pupils and staff when schools reopen in August.
Following the announcement by the Scottish Government last month, all pupils will return on Wednesday 12 August, a week earlier than programmed.
In accordance with national guidance, social distancing, hygiene regimes and risk assessments will be essential to keep children and staff safe, with the result that not all children will be able to return to school at the same time.
As such, schools are planning that 33% of their pupils will be in school at any one time. Every pupil will have a mix of teaching in school and learning at home and the days they attend will be determined by their school.
Teaching will take place from Mondays to Thursdays with all children attending for whole day and Fridays used by staff to support home learning. Limited key worker childcare support will continue throughout the week including Fridays during normal school hours.
Nursery and primary children will be grouped together to enable family members to attend school on the same days. In secondary schools, pupils will be grouped together either by year group or family group depending on the individual arrangements made by their school.
Pupils at special schools will be in for 50% of the week with the majority offering two full days in school and the rest as home learning.
Individual schools will be in direct contact with parents/carers to let them know final details of the arrangements for pupils.
Education Convener, Councillor Ian Perry, said: “The past three months have been very challenging for the world of education and I want to thank parents, carers and staff in our schools who continue to support our children with home learning and keyworker learning and childcare.
“The health and wellbeing of our children, young people and staff has been at the forefront of our planning for their return to their schools in August. We believe these plans represent the safest return to school as possible for them and in a way that best supports the quality of their learning and their safety
“We are making sure the guidance and advice from both Health Protection Scotland and Scottish Government is being strictly followed when it comes to social distancing, hygiene regimes and risk assessments – it’s essential that we keep our children and staff safe.
“This new blended model is an improvement on the current home learning arrangements, and I want to reassure parents that where possible we review, refine and improve our approach so we can maximise the proportion of in-school learning.”
Education Vice Convener, Cllr Alison Dickie, said: “School recovery lies at the heart of helping our city back on its feet, and I want to begin with a thank you to our teachers and parents and especially the wonderful children and young people of our city.
“This has been an unprecedented time for all of them and I am acutely aware of those who already faced challenges on a daily basis, and to whom school is at times a haven. They are at the heart of our plans.
“Children and young people have missed their teachers, and their teachers them. They have missed their friends and the inspiring and holistic learning environments of our modern classrooms. It’s important too that we build on the home aspect of our blended learning, so that our children feel fully connected and supported.
“Lockdown has also reminded us that learning is wider than just the classroom, and this is an opportunity to realise the full potential of community learning. From our youth workers and After School Clubs, to a range of third partners and community organisations, all have a part to play in this recovery process.”
As schools are starting a week earlier than planned, the summer holidays in 2021 will begin one week earlier, with the school year finishing on Friday 25 June.
£50 million to improve attainment in Scotland’s poorest communities
Pupils living in Scotland’s most deprived communities will benefit from targeted funding from the Attainment Scotland Fund to help close the poverty-related attainment gap.
Nine local councils with the highest concentrations of deprivation in Scotland, known as “Challenge Authorities” – Edinburgh is not among them – will share £43 million of investment from the Attainment Scotland Fund.
In addition, a further £7 million will be shared from the Schools’ Programme between 73 additional schools with the highest concentration of pupils from areas of deprivation.
Edinburgh’s share of the Attainment Fund Scotland grant is £845,595.
The £50 million is in addition to the £250 million Pupil Equity Funding package announced in May for the next two years and an investment of £9 million to provide 25,000 laptops to assist pupils learning at home.
To help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, schools and local authorities will have flexibility to redirect some of this Challenge Authority and Schools’ Programme funding from existing plans to best support the most vulnerable and disadvantaged families, with a continued focus on equity in education.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Closing the poverty-related attainment gap remains the defining mission of this Government and the challenges presented by the current pandemic mean that efforts to deliver equity in education are more important than ever.
“This funding will allow local authorities and schools to provide targeted help for some of our most disadvantaged pupils.
“I have given local authorities additional flexibility in how this funding is deployed in light of the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in. This will allow schools and councils to swiftly adjust plans and to work together to identify opportunities to undertake collaborative approaches in response to the current crisis.
“It is important that Headteachers continue to be directly involved in any decision made about the deployment of Schools’ Programme funding and Pupil Equity Funding.
“This work will be supported by our £9 million investment in 25,000 laptops and tablets to assist pupils learning at home.”
Additional information on flexibility in the use of this funding for local authorities was communicated on 15 May and can be found on gov.scot.
‘Widespread anxiety’ as schools return in England
Anxiety is widespread among school workers about their safety, their families’ and that of pupils ahead of a return to the classroom across England today, says UNISON.
UNISON has published a catalogue of concerns from support staff who make up more than half the schools’ workforce.
Teaching assistants, catering staff, administrative workers, caretakers and other school employees have told the union they are being banned from wearing protective masks, denied gloves when handing packed lunches to parents and being spat at by children with behavioural issues.
These issues are among hundreds reported to UNISON’s PPE alert web page by support staff, including many who have continued to work in schools during the lockdown.
They also include accounts of having to buy their own hand sanitiser, parents failing to social distance when they visit and working without hot water in schools attended by the children of key workers.
In separate findings, a survey by UNISON based on responses from 12,781 support staff has found that three in ten (30%) are losing sleep, suffering high anxiety or both as a result of plans to open schools more widely in England.
Only a small minority (4%) said that schools had adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).
The union is calling on ministers to make schools have enough PPE to protect staff, their families and the children they look after from the risks of infection from coronavirus.
UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “Support staff are essential to schools running properly and they shouldn’t have to feel scared about doing their jobs.
“But it’s no wonder they feel anxious and are losing sleep – and that makes for worried parents too.
“Schools need much more time to complete their risk assessments and ensure that, wherever possible, support staff aren’t being made to fill in for teachers.
“Parents need their minds putting at rest that teaching assistants, catering workers and other support staff have access to all the masks and gloves they need. Or they simply won’t send their children back.
“A delay to the reopening plans will allow unions and government the space to work together to reassure staff and families in England that the return to school can happen safely.”
Comments made by school support staff in emails to UNISON’s PPE alert include:
- “I‘m making packed lunches in a primary school and also work as a cleaner (in a primary school). I have to hand over the lunches to the children’s parents each day and was told I cannot have gloves as they are a risk.”
- “We’ve been told we can’t wear masks. But if a child has a first aid issue then we have to be close to that pupil to administer first aid.”
- “I’m a teaching assistant working with key worker children. We have no PPE – no hand sanitiser, no gloves, nothing. We have soap but no hot water.”
- “The school cannot source sanitiser anywhere so we need to supply our own and claim the money back from the school.”
- “Parents aren’t maintaining distance at the door, and children aren’t being sent in clean clothes as requested. I was coughed on twice today and a child sneezed on me.”
- “I’ve worked one-to-one with a pupil who on the first day spat at me. He’s aggressive and they’ve placed us in a small room together. My daughter has asthma – I’m so worried we considered sending her to grandparents until this is over. We’ve been told not to wear masks because they could scare the children.”
Outdoor learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
Funding for Virtual Nature School
Children and families are to benefit from expert guidance on learning and play in an outdoor environment during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
Funding of £159,000 is being given to Living Classrooms to expand their Virtual Nature School programme, providing professional training and learning materials to early learning and childcare (ELC) practitioners. This will help them support the delivery of outdoor play sessions for children who usually attend their settings.
Up to 2,000 practitioners will receive training on the Virtual Nature School’s digital platform and about 20,000 families will benefit. The focus will initially be in areas of higher deprivation, where children will benefit most.
Children’s Minister Maree Todd said: “Playing, learning and having fun outdoors helps to improve children’s wellbeing and resilience, as well as their physical and mental health. It also gives children the opportunity to develop a life-long appreciation of the natural world.
“This is particularly important during the current circumstances, when we are all having to spend so much more time indoors.
“This programme will make a real difference to help families with their home learning, while maintaining a vital connection with the ELC settings and key workers that children are used to having contact with. That will help when the time comes for youngsters to return to those settings.”
The Virtual Nature School (VNS) is a non-profit programme created by Living Classrooms in response to the needs of children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The work is led by Dr Claire Warden, manager of Auchlone Nursery, Living Classrooms and Mind Stretchers Academy.
The programme currently provides home learning support to non-keyworker families, many of whom normally attend the Auchlone Nursery, where children are unable to attend settings. Sessions are delivered online, with families being supported to carry out outdoor play-based tasks and evaluate their learning.
The programme will be delivered across two eight-week cohorts.
Stop tobacco industry exploitation of children and young people, says WHO
The World Health Organization has launched a new kit for school students aged 13-17 to alert them to the tobacco industry tactics used to hook them to addictive products.
Every year the tobacco industry invests more than USD 9 billion to advertise its products. Increasingly, it is targeting young people with nicotine and tobacco products in a bid to replace the 8 million people that its products kill every year.
This year’s WHO’s World No Tobacco Day (31 May) campaign focuses on protecting children and young people from exploitation by the tobacco and related industry.
The toolkit has a set of classroom activities including one that puts the students in the shoes of the tobacco industry to make them aware of how the industry tries to manipulate them into using deadly products. It also includes an educational video, myth-buster quiz, and homework assignments.
The toolkit exposes tactics such as parties and concerts hosted by the tobacco and related industries, e-cigarette flavours that attract youth like bubble-gum and candy, e-cigarette representatives presenting in schools, and product placement in popular youth streaming shows.
Even during a global pandemic, the tobacco and nicotine industry persist by pushing products that limit people’s ability to fight coronavirus and recover from the disease. The industry has offered free branded masks and delivery to your door during quarantine and has lobbied for their products to be listed as ‘essential’.
Smoking suffocates the lungs and other organs, starving them of the oxygen they need to develop and function properly.
“Educating youth is vital because nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start before age 18. We want to provide young people with the knowledge to speak out against tobacco industry manipulation,” said Ruediger Krech, Director for Health Promotion at WHO.
Over 40 million young people aged 13-15 have already started to use tobacco. To reach Generation Z, WHO launched a TikTok dance challenge and welcomed social media partners like Pinterest, Tinder, YouTube and TikTok to amplify messaging.
WHO calls on all sectors to help stop marketing tactics of tobacco and related industries that prey on children and young people:
- Schools refuse any form of sponsorship and prohibit representatives from nicotine and tobacco companies from speaking to students
- Celebrities and influencers reject all offers of sponsorship
- Television and streaming services stop showing tobacco or e-cigarette use on screen
- Social media platforms ban the marketing of tobacco and related products and prohibit influencer marketing
- Government and financial sector divest from tobacco and related industries
- Governments ban all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Countries can protect children from industry exploitation by putting in place strict tobacco control laws, including regulating products like e-cigarettes that have already begun to hook a new generation of young people.
Schools re-opening blueprint published – but union warns of challenges ahead
The Scottish Government has published detailed guidance on practical measures to allow schools to re-open safely on 11 August – but an EIS survey has warned of challenges that must be overcome for schools to reopen.
Teachers and other school staff will be able to return in June to prepare for a new model of learning from August. The plans are contingent on scientific and medical advice that it is safe to proceed and public health measures being in place.
Key contents of the guidance include:
- Local plans: education authorities and schools should draw on this national guidance to work in partnership with trades unions, staff, parents and children to develop local plans.
- Physical distancing: With some limited exceptions, physical distancing of 2 metres for staff and pupils will be implemented. Physical distancing measures will be kept under review as the public health position evolves.
- School transport: Schools will work with council transport teams to inform their local planning, particularly in respect of options to minimise and, where possible, stagger the use of public transport. Active travel – walking and cycling – by parents, carers, staff and pupils will be encouraged.
- Determining capacity: Local authorities and schools are encouraged, where necessary, to take an innovative approach to the use of alternative facilities to bring as many children back on a safe, phased basis as possible (subject to risk assessments), while maintaining a positive learning environment.
Separate guidance for Early Learning and Childcare settings is being developed.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Creating this practical blueprint over the last two months was a team effort and that team spirit will be needed to make this next phase a success.
“The guidance – underpinned by advice from public health experts – has been developed with the Education Recovery Group, which includes representatives from local authorities, teachers’ organisations and trades unions.
“The health and wellbeing of children and young people is our priority, which is why in implementing this guidance, we will adopt a cautious approach and monitor progress to inform decisions on further changes to restrictions.
“It is important to stress that there will be regional variation in the approach to implementation. It is for councils to work with teachers and put in place the best solutions locally. I am certain they will rise to the challenge.”
Read the schools re-opening guidance.
The full results of a major survey, carried out by the EIS, have highlighted the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and warned of challenges that must be overcome for schools to re-open.
Over 26,000 EIS members responded to the online survey – making this the biggest survey of teachers’ opinions to have been carried out in Scotland.
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The EIS surveyed its members, to seek teachers’ views on the challenges that have been presented to education during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We received an unprecedented level of response, with almost 60% of teachers responding to the online survey in just one week. This has given us a very clear picture of the challenges that Scottish education, its pupils and teachers, have faced during the lockdown and will continue to face even once schools re-open following the summer.”
Mr Flanagan continued, “There is much to be encouraged about in these findings, including good provision in Hub schools for the children of key workers and a strong commitment to supporting young people and their families in home learning.
“There are, however, also some significant causes for concern such as the real challenge of maintaining social distancing in a school environment and how best to ensure that more vulnerable young people and those experiencing disadvantage associated with poverty can receive appropriate support during this crisis. Our survey findings identify many challenges that education will continue to face for months, if not years, to come.”
Many teachers reported largely positive experiences in the way in which their school had responded to the challenges presented by the move to a blend of hub provision and home learning for different groups of pupils.
Over one-third (35%) of teachers who responded had been involved in Hub provision in their local authority area, on a voluntary basis. These teachers felt particularly positive about how well provision had been delivered for children of key workers (88%), and about health and safety procedures such as regular handwashing (93%) for pupils and staff.
On social distancing, slightly more than half (51%) felt that there had been clear guidance on who should and shouldn’t be entering Hubs, while just 44% felt that social distancing of 2 metres had been maintained at all times – a serious consideration when considering how schools will operate after re-opening following the summer period.
Looking ahead to the potential for schools re-opening, on a partial basis, teachers identified some significant challenges to be addressed.
The vast majority of teachers (93%) believed that the most important issue was a need for clarity over how teaching and learning will be delivered in the next academic year.
77% believed that there was a critical need for adequate time to prepare for the delivery of a more ‘blended’ approach to learning – including both limited time for pupils in a school environment, coupled with significant use of online learning at home. 63% believed that adequate support from their school or local authority would be essential to adjusting to these new methods of delivery.
On the potential models for a return to school, 58% of teachers agreed that certain categories of pupils should be prioritised in a phased return to school, with 23% believing that universal access to provision (on a part-time basis) was the preferable model.
Amongst the groups of pupils that teachers believed should potentially be prioritised were children on the child protection register (75%), children identified by social work as having a challenging home environment (72%), children in transition from primary to secondary (60%), children with Additional Support Needs (58%), children of key workers (58%), and children presenting for external qualifications (53%).
Teachers felt generally positive about the level of expectations from their school and from parents regarding the level and type of support for children’s home learning. There was, however, a notable difference between the primary and secondary sectors – with primary teachers significantly more likely to agree that the expectations being placed on them were achievable.
Click here to view a copy of the full Survey report, including comments from teachers on the key issues.
Click here to view a presentation summarising the key survey findings.
Schools: Time For A Clean Slate, says Barnardo’s
Barnardo’s warns of missed opportunity if Government does not change education system when schools reopen
The Government could miss a once in a generation opportunity to put mental health and wellbeing at the heart of the education system if it does not make changes when schools reopen their gates.
This is the warning from Barnardo’s in its report Time for a Clean Slate: Children’s Mental Health at the Heart of Education, which is released today.
The UK’s largest children’s charity works in schools across the country supporting pupils with their emotional health and wellbeing and says the Government must realise it cannot make them return to the ‘business as usual’ from the pre-pandemic days.
This is because the Covid-19 outbreak, as well as side effects of the measures to contain it, have exposed the country’s children and young people to an unprecedented level of trauma, loss and adversity.
Some children, who were already extremely vulnerable will have been badly affected.
For example, children and young people living in lockdown or socially isolating in challenging and unsafe home environments may have lost their ‘safe space’ at school. Some children and young people will have experienced domestic abuse, poverty or child abuse for the first time.
Others will be grieving for loved ones, and we know the virus has disproportionately affected BAME communities.
Some children will be fearful of catching the virus and others will be experiencing separation anxiety.
As schools start to return, Barnardo’s says they should be allowed to use at least a term as a ‘readjustment period’ where they can be flexible with the curriculum, so they can work through the emotional effects of the pandemic.
This would enable teachers to help their pupils reintegrate into the school environment, re-socialise with their friends, and change the structure of the day so there is more of a focus on pastoral care, play, creative outlets and outdoor activities.
The call comes as the results of a survey, undertaken by Barnardo’s for the report, revealed 88% of school staff said the pandemic is likely to have an effect on the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils.
And 26% said they did not feel confident they had the tools, skills or resources to support their pupils in this way.
Barnardo’s would also like to see the Government act on the proposal by the chairman of the Education Select Committee, Robert Halfon, to introduce a catch up pupil premium for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils.
But this funding should not just be about ‘catching up’ academically and schools should be able to use it flexibly to support these pupils in a holistic way, including for support with mental health and wellbeing.
And the UK’s leading children’s charity is calling on the Government to go much further than this in the longer term.
It wants the Government to seize this opportunity to bring about a sea change in the education system – to prioritise child welfare and wellbeing, so that it is on a par with academic achievement.
With the current system weighing heavily on the side of academic performance, Barnardo’s is concerned that schools are finding it difficult to meet the needs of the most vulnerable pupils and to prioritise welfare and wellbeing.
This echoes the views of the school staff surveyed, with more than two thirds (67%) saying they want to see changes in the curriculum structure and exams process.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “When it comes to this pandemic, we are all in the same storm, but we are not in the same boat.
“We know children who were already vulnerable before the crisis have been badly affected, and with families now under increasing financial and emotional pressure, more children are now living in poverty and at risk of abuse. Many more are struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, now largely hidden from the view of teachers and professionals.
“When children return to school, there must be additional resource available to help overcome not just the ‘attainment gap’ but also the ‘trauma gap’ faced by vulnerable pupils.
“The Government should also take this once in a generation opportunity to rebalance the school system, recognising that children rely on school to keep them safe and well, just as much as they need it to pass exams.
“We urge the Government to work with schools, local authorities, the NHS and charities to place wellbeing at the heart of the curriculum and school culture, so that every child has the support they need to thrive.”
Time for a Clean Slate Mental Health at the Heart of Education – Barnardo’s
EIS welcomes clarity on school re-openings – but warns challenges remain
Teachers union the EIS has welcomed the clarity provided by the planned re-opening of Scotland’s schools in August but has highlighted that significant challenges remain over managing this effectively.
The EIS has consistently called for three conditions to be met before schools re-open: full test trace and isolate capacity to be established; a programme for implementing operationally in schools all public health advice e.g. physical distancing; and demonstrable evidence that the virus is under control e.g. a lower R figure and steady reductions in new cases.
These remain the yardsticks which must be applied.
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on schools, pupils and teachers over the past months.
“Our members will welcome the clarity provided by the First Minister’s announcement today, and the clear statement that schools will not re-open until after the summer and only if health conditions allow.
“This will provide valuable time to allow schools to prepare for what will be a very different learning environment, with physical distancing requiring smaller class sizes and schools delivering a blended approach of part time in-school learning and part time remote learning for most pupils.”
Mr Flanagan added: “The EIS has worked constructively with the Scottish Government and with local authorities throughout this crisis and will continue to do so in the best interests of learners and teachers.
“There is a strong shared commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of everyone in the school community. Delivering a new blended learning approach is potentially the biggest curriculum challenge of this century, however, and it will require significant commitment from all parties to make it work.”
Mr Flanagan referred to the initial analysis of a recent EIS survey, which more than 26,000 teachers across Scotland responded to, which highlights some of the challenges that schools continued to face.
93% of teachers believed that clarity over how teaching and learning will be delivered in the next academic year was crucial.
77% believed that there was a critical need for adequate time to prepare for the delivery of a more ‘blended’ approach to learning – an acute challenge if staff are also supporting remote learning and hub provision.
Teachers also warned of some of the challenges associated with home learning, particularly for those pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The majority cited digital poverty as a barrier for pupils: 63% cited the lack of access to suitable technology and 57% the lack of internet access at home as issues creating barriers for pupils.