No one needs to be told that lockdown has been hard. Whether you are caring for children at home while working, are furloughed, worried about family who are shielding or, worse yet, sick, or whether you are living alone and, like me, have not seen a real human being in nearly two months, stress and anxiety are taking their toll on us all.
And for many, a new source of concern has started to rear its head in recent weeks: what will the “new normal” look like and how can we keep everyone safe? How bad will the impact on the economy turn out to be, and how will that hit the communities we live in, including the learners in our early years settings, schools and colleges?
Children and young people are far from immune to feeling that anxiety. They have not been abandoned, of course - lecturers and teachers and other education staff are going to extraordinary lengths to support them while they are not in school - but no one would argue that it can replace their normal education experience. And, every few days, a little bit of information is thrown their way about when the doors of their schools or colleges might reopen, and who they might reopen for.
In all this, I feel most for those for whom home is not a safe place - especially learners for whom their place of education is not just a learning environment but also a place where they find space to breathe, as well as get sustenance and support. But I also feel for those for whom this academic year is meant to be the last one in their current setting. There is a reason, of course, that it now seems these year groups will be the first in Scotland to return to school once the phased reopening starts.
We have all seen pictures and videos of improvised farewell events held in primary and secondary schools across the country, as well as online end-of-year shows by college classes. And last week, NUS Scotland president Liam McCabe wrote for 91 Scotland about the many crucial experiences young people in colleges are missing out on - from the feeling that comes with handing in one’s final piece of work to attending graduation with family and friends.
But this isn’t just about the end-of-an-era events that school and college leavers are now not likely to get a chance to craft or attend. It is also about the fear about how ready they are for what comes next. Last month, Dundee and Angus College principal Grant Ritchie spoke at an online question and answer session for young people interested in HE courses in Scotland.
Repeatedly, he stressed the importance of reassuring learners: “Your teachers have your back,” he said, stressing that they would get the grades they deserved and should trust their teachers.
He also tried to assure those moving to college or university that there was a “Team Scotland” of teachers, lecturers and staff at universities working together to make sure there was a plan in place so that the first few months of the new term could include content they would have normally covered now.
Last week, a survey by the Association of Colleges highlighted the huge variety of steps that colleges in England are taking to support students looking at transition - from online advice and guidance to “keeping-warm messages” for those looking to move on from school. I am sure colleges in Scotland are doing the same.
Reassuring learners in transition is absolutely crucial. But it cannot happen unless all parts of the education sector work together. This, like so much else, is harder during lockdown. But, if ever there were a time when we could not afford to have barriers between schools, colleges and universities, that time is now. Together, we are all stronger.
@JBelgutay
This article originally appeared in the 15 May 2020 issue under the headline “Team Scotland can make sure our students stay in the game”
