Swinney warns of children’s trauma

Children will become traumatised during the coronavirus crisis as they are exposed to deaths, domestic violence and abuse, John Swinney has warned.

The education secretary said the disruption to schooling will lead to the lockdown concealing harm that is being done to children and more will become classified as “vulnerable”.

The mental health, physical health and safety of youngsters will be affected by the absence of formal schooling, Mr Swinney said during a virtual session of Holyrood’s education committee.

Amid fears that the crisis will exacerbate the attainment gap between rich and poor children, Mr Swinney confirmed the Scottish Government was considering bringing vulnerable children back to school earlier than others.

He also said the government’s Education Recovery Group (ERG) would consider tutoring, including one-to-one sessions, to help the poorest children make up lost ground.

The education secretary called on the UK Government to keep providing cash to pay for free school meals when it was pointed out the Scottish Government’s £70 million food fund would run out in a matter of weeks.

Evidence submitted to the committee by the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) raised “major concerns” that only around 1% of “vulnerable” children were attending childcare hubs during lockdown.

Some young people who were previously not viewed to become vulnerable will become vulnerable as a consequence of the experience around coronavirus, it was stated.

Mr Swinney said he had to “acknowledge” there would be “a significant set of issues” for children. He said: “Many more young people will be exposed to bereavement and sometimes in circumstances where they do not have access – because of lockdown – to family support that would allow them to come to terms with that bereavement.”

Conservative education spokesman Jamie Greene said he was concerned by how few children were attending childcare hubs, where problems at home could be picked up.

“We are sitting in the eye of a perfect storm which will let down a whole generation of vulnerable people during this lockdown,” he added.