National trauma support programme called for by Shadow Education Secretary

    Teachers voice their concerns as schools begin to reopen during COVID-19

      • Sector News
    • 17.06.20

    The Shadow Education Secretary has called for a “national support programme” to be developed, which can help pupils who may be experiencing emotional trauma as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Rebecca Long-Bailey said that teachers will need to “go beyond teaching” to support pupils affected by the crisis.

    “Even if pupils have not been faced with a horrific bereavement, they’re going to have been psychologically affected when they’re at home," she said.

    “Seeing the news every day and seeing the number of deaths that are happening, that is going to have a profound psychological effect on the mind a young person, not to mention the fact they haven’t been in that classroom learning environment for a long period of time.

    “The government needs to be looking at producing a national support programme for all pupils that provides teachers with the additional support to deal with the emotional support that pupils are going to need when they go back to the classroom."

    A Times Educational Supplement (TES) Global survey of approximately 5,000 school staff has found that almost two-thirds of the school’s staff think pupil behaviour will be a challenge as schools begin to reopen. 

    A teacher reported to TES that “pupils will have had no structure or discipline during lockdown and behaviour issues and social distancing will be even more challenging”.

    TES: 64% teachers worried over behaviour when schools reopen

    TES: 'Help teachers to deal with pupils' emotional trauma’

    TES: How to support bereaved children: a comprehensive guide

    Maybo perspective

    • This has been an incredibly challenging and anxious time for school leaders and teachers, working with very little and late guidance and support.
    • Families experienced lockdown differently; for some, it has been a positive relationship-building experience, for others a truly traumatic one. Either way, returning to school has presented its challenges.
    • A recent Trauma Action Group (TAG) webinar was really insightful as to the experiences of teachers, parents and pupils during the pandemic: click here
    • Now is the time to be genuinely trauma-informed in support of our staff and our pupils.
    • You can access Maybo’s leading-edge eLearning on Trauma-Informed Approaches developed with TAG, here: click here

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