Parent groups are warning of a "tsunami" of crippling school-anxiety cases leading to persistent and debilitating absence from education.
They may even threaten to harm themselves if parents make them go to school, and yet their parents can still be threatened with fines and court action.Fran Morgan, whose daughter experienced school anxiety, set up support organisation Square Peg to help other families in similar situations.The issue is poorly understood and often incorrectly labelled "school refusal".
Many parents are being prosecuted and fined under legislation put in place to stop parents taking children on holiday in term time."We know all the problems with the special educational needs and disability system, we know the problem accessing children mental health services - a lot of those children are the ones who are struggling to attend and parents are being penalised for that.
"School anxiety and generally the mental health of our children has been a massive issue for many years but it's particularly more pronounced since the pandemic, because the impact this has had on children has undoubtedly affected their mental health in a very substantial way."But over the year to September 2021, coinciding with school lockdowns and the pandemic, its membership grew by nearly 50% - to 17,924.
OhGemyusopiff No wonder. Children face huge challenges today.
I put anxiety on the second level of my animated Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Anxiety, not treated properly due to everyone being encouraged by social media to scream anxiety. Worried really, not anxious. How are kids going to get on at work with deadline pressures? Have a back up team of 5 to help them. FFS.
Life’s tough and shit happens. Deal with it and grow stronger.
FFS! Getta grip & man up. Life's shite & comes at you fast. Sooner you realise this the better.
It's called growing up. I suggest this generation toughen up they could be fighting a civil war in thirty years time.
Are we raising a population of kids who don't understand the concept of 'Tough Sh*t'? Anxiety, course it is 🙄, nothing to do with being much more comfortable at home with the Xbox and a multipack of Dairylea Dunkers.