‘My 16-year-old won’t have seen a teacher – in person or virtually – for six months’

My son, Oscar, 16, is in Year 11 and had been preparing for his GCSES when lockdown happened. When exams were cancelled and the Government announced he would be awarded his qualifications on the basis of predicted grades, school was over.

I feel his year group has been abandoned – allotted grades they haven’t been allowed to work for, and forgotten in home schooling. Although he has been accepted for A-levels in September, there has been no real provision for bridging work at his state school – just a tiny bit of further reading and no online lessons. If he does go back in September, which is now a big Hancock-sized “If ”, he will have had six months out of education – before he sees a teacher, in person or virtually.

It will be hard enough for my son’s year to get their heads round A-levels (which, let’s face it, are much more challenging than GCSES) from such a long break, but now if the new academic year doesn’t begin when it was supposed to, what impact is that going to have on his my son and his peers, and, ultimately, on their exams at the end of it all?

Like many, I am worried sick about the impact that lockdown is having on our kids and fearful for our children’s future. A primary teacher friend of mine recently confessed his school was worried about the effect of all this time off; his school is devoting 100 per

Allotted grades he hasn’t been allowed to work for, my son has been abandoned

cent of their lessons on reading – because if children don’t acquire this fundamental skill at this crucial time, they will go through the system without this basic skill. The gravity of this is frightening to hear.

It’s not impossible to get children back safely. It’s certainly not enough to throw your hands up in the air and admit defeat. Hire church halls, erect temporary classrooms, take over gyms, fast track teacher training, stagger school times, get retired teachers back into the classroom. Don’t abandon children and teens, and accept defeat at the first hurdle. Do whatever it takes – but just don’t turn your back on a generation.

Lucy Dunn