My girl feels hopeless and lost not being in class... our Ministers need to open up schools now
A mum’s desperate plea...
A DESPERATE mother has issued an emotional appeal to Ministers to allow teenagers back into classrooms.
Louise Leach says she has seen a devastating decline in her 15-year-old daughter’s mental health since schools shut.
She claimed straight-A pupil Maddie, who wants to become a vet, went from being a ‘happy, confident and driven’ young woman to being sad, anxious and unable to get out of bed.
The S4 student at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh is worried her education and future grades have been adversely affected – and feels ‘isolated’ without face-to-face interactions with teachers and friends.
Last night, her mother insisted that ‘enough is enough’ – and urged Ministers to reopen schools to all year groups immediately to prevent a ‘lost generation’.
Interior designer Ms Leach, 54, said: ‘Young people feel like they are being punished and imprisoned. We have grounded them, en masse, for almost a year.
‘The implication of shutting schools for such a prolonged period is now more of a concern than the virus itself. There are going to be far reaching consequences and it has to stop now.
‘School is a massive part of a teenager’s life. It gives them structure and purpose and is where they develop who they are. It’s not just about learning.
‘As a species we are programmed to socialise but we adults have taken that away from young people.’
Ms Leach noticed an immediate change in her daughter when lockdown was imposed.
She said: ‘She had been an incredibly motivated, sociable and happy straight-A student who loved life. Parents’ evenings were always a pleasure, as her teachers were always so positive.
‘Suddenly, when schools closed, there was a shift and she became quiet, tearful, didn’t want to talk to me and rarely left her room – even for meals. She was anxious and going to quite dark places in her thoughts.
‘It has been very worrying, as she has never been like this before. As a parent, when your child asks you, “What’s the point in any of this?”, it hits hard.
‘You never fully know what is going on in their head and it has given me some sleepless nights worrying about how low she is.
‘She feels hopeless and has no control over her life. Also, she says she has lost all confidence in her abilities – all because of lockdown.’
Like thousands of senior pupils, without the structure of prelims and exams to study for, Maddie has struggled with home learning – and fears her grades and university applications will be hampered.
Yesterday, the teenager said: ‘I have found lockdown really hard. I have felt sad and lonely and spent most of the time in my room alone, which has been bad for my mental health. A lot of my friends feel the same.
‘School from home isn’t great as it’s very hard to motivate yourself to get up and do work without the routine of going into school and seeing friends in class. It’s also much harder to get support or communicate with teachers.
‘I am supposed to be doing my exams this year and all the uncertainty surrounding this had added to my anxiety.
‘Falling behind at school then makes me feel even lower and it has been a vicious cycle for me.
‘I understand that it’s been necessary because of the virus, but personally it has had a very negative impact on my life and also on my education.’
Her mother – like many parents across the country – has tried to help with her schoolwork, but she admits she is ‘not a teacher’.
Ms Leach said: ‘I struggle to help her with subjects like maths and chemistry. It leaves us both
very frustrated. School-age children and young people have been thrown under the bus as a result of poor decisions at the top.
‘Their prospects have already been hampered and they know it.
‘People often talk about parents being worried about grades, but young people are worried too.
They worry their hopes and dreams won’t come true and it is very scary for them.
‘Enough is enough. We need to reopen all schools now and ensure the future generation is afforded a full and proper education experience that is not shrouded in fear – before it really is too late.’