No doubt you'll have read this thread thoroughly so that you can balance the extensive analysis of this study by an epidemiologist against the (very brief) expert views of a 'Professor of Industrial Economics'.
I've read plenty of reports by other epidemiologists, as well as experts in other directly related fields. The report itself concludes "Conclusions We found no significant differences in SARS-CoV-2 transmission due to FCM mandates in Catalonian schools. Instead, age was the most important factor in explaining the transmission risk for children attending school."
The fall out continues from a distasterous policy https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/east-riding-school-12-children-7777198 East Riding school where 12 children have tried to take their life in two months as head warns of mental health crisis Headteacher's stark warning as he says teaching is being 'pushed back' as staff deal with surge in mental health issues please log in to view this image Hornsea School and Language College A school in East Yorkshire has dealt with 12 student suicide attempts since September as pupils and teachers struggle with a surge in mental health issues. East Riding councillors heard HornseaSecondary School had seen a disturbing rise in pupils self-harming and with eating disorders, as well as children dealing with domestic violence and drug or alcohol abuse at home. Headteacher Steve Ostler said safeguarding cases had more than doubled since the coronavirus pandemic with 265 cases being dealt with since the school year started just two months ago. Council public health lead Andy Kingdom said the situation would likely worsen during winter and the councillors heard the growing concern at Hornsea was reflected across schools in East Yorkshire. They also heard school funding had not increased to combat the rise in mental health problems in children. Read more:East Yorkshire schools 'will run out of money' next year, academies boss warns Councillors heard that, in the seven weeks since the start of this academic year in September, 26 Hornsea Secondary School pupils were referred because of home issues like domestic violence. A total of 12 children made a serious attempt to end their own life and there was also an increase in pupils self-harming who needed hospital treatment as a result. please log in to view this image Hornsea Secondary School Steve Ostler (right) told councillors they were having to pick up the pieces from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and cost of living crisis (Image: East Riding of Yorkshire Council/Youtube) The school has also seen an increase in anorexia and other eating disorders. Individual safeguarding cases included one pupil who was found to be self-harming, which had gotten worse during the half-term holiday. Another child came to school with a facial injury which is believed to have happened at home. One pupil said they were concerned about their mother's mental health while another also said they were suffering because of their parents' alcohol and cocaine abuse. One child approached safeguarding teams after their mother had an overdose. Mr Ostler said were increasingly having to pick up the pieces as the fallout from the pandemic and the cost of living impacts children. please log in to view this image Hornsea Secondary School has seen mental health and safeguarding cases more than double compared to before the coronavirus crisis He added the situation was becoming more challenging and was not just confined to Hornsea but was affecting all schools. Mr Ostler said: "This is what school staff are dealing with now and education is almost being pushed to the backbenches. "There's a bulge of children who are now in very difficult situations and the effects of that are being pushed into schools. I think we're going to see more issues like domestic violence at home as money becomes tighter and we're facing our own significant financial pressures. "What we're trying to do is to get back to normal as quickly as possible by getting school trips, visits, concerns and other events back up and running." Mr Rush said the challenge facing schools was severe and the statistics from Hornsea Secondary School were cause for alarm. The director said: "This is something schools don't want to be facing, especially in the current climate. "Headteachers are shot through with a determination to keep going and we need to continue our partnership with them because this isn't just the responsibility of schools. We have to try and intervene earlier and work to create a climate where pupils can feel a sense of optimism. "Pupils have had an understandable reaction to the very odd experience of the pandemic and families have been and are under intense pressure." Meanwhile, another school in Bridlington is now taking part in a pilot scheme to host a mental health and wellbeing professional on-site to deal with the increase in safety and welfare issues. Mr Kingdom said officials across the public sector needed to work as hard as they had during the pandemic to weather the worsening of the situation. The director said: "There are some dark clouds coming our way, winter is going to make the conditions of living worse.
My nieces daughter who is 9, will not go out socially. It was her sisters birthday on Saturday and they had booked a restaurant... she didnt want to go out so it was take away instead..
COVID lockdowns knackered a lot of kids’ educations. I work in a school and it’s clear to see that some kids have missed out on a lot. Not just academically but social and emotional skills as well. Whole generations are stunted in their development.
At nine years old, rightly or wrongly, I’d have been told I was going, and that’s that. I don’t think that kind of parenting did me any harm.
I agree that was the way back in the day,we weren't given an inch so we could then take a mile.But I see parenting as a totally different thing nowadays,I have 4 kids who have their own kids now and they just don't parent the same as we did them? I was a fairly strict Father and they knew where the line in the sand was,nowadays their kids push the boundary further than I,or their parents would ever have dared...
That’s terrible for a kid to do that, like someone else said, if that was me as a kid, I’d have been told that I was going, no matter what. My mum was 93 in 2020 when the news took over everything, including her favourite TV shows, she already had bad anxiety, the news didn’t help & myself & the rest of the family told her not to watch it, but it didn’t work, so every conversation was about covid & her worrying constantly. It got to the point that when i visited, it was a task to force her to get out. Ultimately it worked, but I always felt bad forcing her, but it was for her own good, as would not giving power to a child who has their whole life to get on with.
If you have the time and the inclination to do it, I wholly recommend home education. My nephew has been home educated and he's now doing brilliantly at Ron Dearing College. Don't discount this idea immediately. Home Ed is very different to what a lot of people expect. If you don't have the time, that's understandable of course. I'm just giving what might be a new idea for some. There's loads of information out there.
Our youngest is 7, just gone into year 3, so was in year 1 when this all kicked off. Arguably the most crucial period as it's where they start to put letters together, turning sounds into words etc. In reading/writing she's still working towards the end of year 1 level. We're fortunate enough to be able to afford a private tutor to, hopefully, help her catch up to where she should be, but many won't have that luxury.
I could read and write before starting school. So could my kids. Parents taking an interest and reading to them and giving them things to read instead of letting them gaze at a screen to keep them quiet helped.
There were no screens to gaze at when you were a child though, reading and writing was a much easier option to promote. It's much harder these days to teach your own kids.
