Cambridge Education Guide Spring:Summer21 Web

MENTAL HEALTH 47 Healing young minds W I T H S C H O O L C L O S U R E S , L O C K D OWN S A N D U N C E R T A I N T Y C R E A T I N G A P E R F E C T S T O R M F O R M E N T A L H E A L T H P R O B L E M S , S A F E G U A R D I N G S T U D E N T W E L L B E I N G I S M O R E P R E S S I N G T H A N E V E R – H E R E ’ S W H E R E T O S T A R T

ith the school-age population enforced isolation have taken their toll on our children – not just in terms of their academic progress, but their wellbeing. There are babies who haven’t seen another adult beyond their immediate family since W finally returning to our nurseries, primary and secondary schools, there remain underlying concerns about what it will reveal. Months of

in January, cancelled at the very last moment, must have been the final straw. Active children, who live for sport, have been badly affected in particular, with one study reporting that a significant proportion of young athletes showed worrying symptoms of depression and anxiety during the pandemic. Meanwhile, numerous parents are battling worries about illness, finances or unemployment, making it hard to keep the family ship afloat. All in all, it’s not hard to see why so many children are struggling, with alarm calls about a crisis in children’s

birth, and toddlers who have missed out on crucial interaction with others. For every home-educated pupil of primary age missing their friends, there will be a teenager locked up with their families, when every instinct has been urging them to break away and forge new relationships outside the home – a vital step along the road to independence. Many of these children are experiencing such difficulties for the first time – the result of a toxic combination of axed exams, enforced isolation and uncertainty. For many, the longed-for return to school

CAMBRIDGE EDUCAT ION GUIDE

Powered by