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At the start of this year, 15-year-old Akasha Daley was ready to settle into a program of hard work and revision. Now, with the news that schools are closing, she like many of her friends, has been left adrift and wondering what her future holds.
“Everyone was devastated when we learnt that we wouldn’t be going back to school and the exams were cancelled,” said the student of Westminster Academy, in west London. “After we found out, everyone was just so sad – it felt like the whole of year 11 went into meltdown. Everyone is just wondering what is going to happen next.”
Gloria Hunter, 14, said she too felt suddenly sad, realising Thursday would be her last day at her London comprehensive. “While I thought it would be fun at first, the idea of school shutting for the rest of the year made everyone unhappy because of how much we would miss each other,” she said. “To be honest, having to be home schooled sounds boring and makes you scared of missing out on things.”
As parents begin desperately collating home-schooling ideas and wondering how they will continue to work, teachers are frantically pulling together lesson plans and planning online support for their students. As one tired teacher in Hastings put it: “I didn’t think the apocalypse would have this much admin”.
Experts have warned that the early closure of schools could leave children feeling adrift, and without the joyous sense of closure that often comes from leaving school after exams.
“As a clinical psychologist, I am acutely aware of the importance of preparing and having time to process endings and transitions in our lives,” said Natalie Jewitt, clinical psychologist from the Jenby’s school wellbeing project. “We have to remember that many children have important and supportive relationships with teachers so this will be a huge change for them. It would be good if teachers are able to offer online check-ins for pupils to maintain those relationships.”
Parents could also find that the modern day, exam-focused education system leaves children feeling lost as tests get cancelled, said Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham and co-founder of Action for Happiness. “At best this could lead to a revival in family discussion and relationships – but at worst it will be very hard for families to keep children busy who have been formed by an education system that has stripped out all meaning but studying for exams. We haven’t taught our young people how to cope on their own,” he said.
On Thursday, it was already apparent that many parents were feeling overwhelmed. “My husband is still working, and I am trying to do a fulltime job while looking after a seven-year-old and a four-year-old,” said accountant Claire Mcelarney, who like thousands of other parents has joined the Facebook group Family Lockdown Tips and Ideas. “I’m doing a crap job at working and a crap job at parenting.”
Others are, for the moment at least, relishing the challenge. Solicitor Danielle Ayres has drawn up a daily timetable for her nine and seven-year-olds, which includes a workout session with fitness expert Joe Wicks, who has started daily classes at 9am on YouTube. She has joined a Whatsapp group with her children’s friends’ parents, swapping numbers so the children can communicate over the video chat app FaceTime – and the group is planning an online Bake Off competition.
“It is going to be a struggle trying to work and manage them but up to now, we’re doing ok and will do ok with the support from our family and friends,” she said.
Bernadka Dubicka, chair of the child and adolescent faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said there could be positives to school closures, with advances in technology providing opportunities to connect with education, friends, family and activities. “There is great scope to learn about social responsibility and getting involved,” said Dubicka. “And there are plenty of opportunities for families to pull together and share responsibilities like calling grandparents.”
But she warned that parents and children could come under a huge amount of pressure, adding that the most vulnerable needed to be protected. “Parents and carers also need to look after their own health and try to contain their own anxieties in front of their children,” she said.
“Every child and family is different, so effects will be different – but clearly there are vulnerable children and young people where increased isolation in a difficult home environment could be very detrimental, therefore it is vital that essential services are protected and supported as much as possible.”
Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), has warned that closing schools was likely to contribute to growing inequality in the UK, and could leave families who were already struggling financially unable to cope.
“We anticipate that there will be long-term impacts on attainment gaps for disadvantaged pupils; there is a lot of evidence on the impact of summer holidays on the growth of achievement gaps between richer and poorer students,” she said. “Children from disadvantaged families may be less likely to have close supervision because parents are more likely to have to stay in work, and those are crucial factors to be borne in mind”.
The EEF is coordinating with educational providers to look at how the children in most need can be supported, including making sure technology is available, she added.
On Thursday, Westminster Academy spent the day informing pupils how classes and support would be moving online with a “virtual school”, and firmly assuring them that they would still be expected to work, and they would still take exams – at some point.
The school was determined to hold pupils and staff by the hand through uncertain times, said principal Dr Saima Rana, adding that the lack of clarity given when school closures and exam cancellations were announced had heightened concerns. “We are all infinitely aware of the crisis and are filled with sadness, but we also have to consider a future when Covid-19 comes under control. Our children are our future, and we have filled them with a tremendous sense of uncertainty,” she said.
Asked if she felt worried about what the future held, her pupil, 15-year-old Akasha, remained positive. “I don’t think we are scared,” she said. “We are maybe anxious for our future, and I don’t think that anxiety will go away until the government tells us what’s going to happen. But we will get through it. This generation will be the strongest this country has ever seen.”
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