Parents and carers survey – make your views heard
Parents and carers survey – make your views heard
As the First Minister announces a phased return to school, starting after the February break, Children 1st are inviting parents and carers to take part in this national survey to share their views about what support their children will need when they return to school.
Through Children 1st Parentline and the charity’s local services parents and carers are sharing that the current lockdown feels much harder than the first. Many parents and carers are exhausted and worried that their children and young people are showing signs of deep distress. While today’s announcement will provide some relief for parents of younger children, it will clearly be some time before all children are fully back at school.
Families are best placed to know what their children will need to recover from the pandemic. That’s why Children 1st are inviting parents and carers with school aged children to share their views in this Scotland-wide survey.
Parents and carers can complete the survey at: http://bit.ly/children1stsurvey
Children 1st is calling on the Scottish Government and the Scottish education sector to put children and young people’s emotional and social wellbeing at the heart of covid recovery, because children can’t learn effectively if they don’t feel emotionally safe and secure.
Introducing the survey Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of the charity said: “Much of the debate about a full return to schooling has been about children catching up with their learning but the science of brain development tells us children cannot learn effectively if they are anxious and struggling to cope. Being a successful learner is only one of the four planks of the Curriculum for Excellence which also supports children and young people to become confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. Every child has experienced the impact of this terrible pandemic and repairing every child’s wellbeing and self-confidence must be at the heart of the education sector’s response to covid recovery.”
She added: “Children and young people can and will recover if they and their families get the emotional, practical and financial support they want and need to repair and rebuild their lives after the pandemic. This generation has a strong and bright future ahead of them if we invest in their social and emotional wellbeing now.”
The number of parents contacting Children 1st Parentline looking for help and advice about their children’s behaviour has trebled in the last two weeks.
Children’s 1st Parentline is available seven days a week for any parent or carer worried about the phased return of children to face to face school. The service offers families emotional, practical and financial support with any issue which they face.