Closing schools was necessary but it's the children who will suffer most | Gavin Morgan

An educational psychologist says missing out on everyday emotional support networks is storing up long-term problems

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Schools give much more to our children than merely opportunities to learn. They also promote the development of a child’s social emotional and mental health needs. The longer children are not attending schools, the greater problems we are storing for them and the education system in the months and years ahead. Covid-19 is not an equal disease.

The most vulnerable children are being affected the most from missing school. For many youngsters, school is the most stable and secure part of their lives. For some, the attachments they build with teachers and peers are incredibly important for their mental health and wellbeing.

The government and DfE should have been planning for schools to reopen even as they were being closed

Related: A generation of children could be scarred by this pandemic | Gaby Hinsliff

Dr Gavin Morgan is an educational psychologist at University College London. He is a member of SPi-B, Sage sub-committee, and writes here in a personal capacity

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/311Zk4c