In aid of World Mental Health Day we turn our attention to a campaign created by Advance, which looks to support children and their families struggling with the school system.
The #NotGoingBackToSchool campaign was launched at the beginning of September – a period often seen as a new start for many. However, for children who struggle at home, with their mental health or with a chronic illness, it becomes difficult to throw yourself into education.
For some very upsetting, yet necessary, context, this year The Good Childhood Report recorded 11% of children in the UK have low wellbeing and our teenagers have the lowest life satisfaction in Europe.
In an attempt to help, Advance – a national charity supporting women and girls who have fallen victim to domestic abuse – have submitted an open letter to the government, calling on them to decriminalise truancy and put more support measures in place for families.
What’s more, the charity are also campaigning for authorities to use the Children’s Wellbeing Bill to fund and support services.
Amy Dennison, Advance service manager for their criminal justice services in Kent, said: ‘Sometimes you’re talking about 14 or 15-year-olds with mental health problems who are lashing out and being violent towards their parents. There isn’t a woman we’ve worked with who hasn’t experienced some sort of trauma. Having any of these women on our books feels wrong.
‘There will be parents who are attending every single meeting and doing everything they physically can and still getting convicted which seems desperately unfair.’
According to statistics from the Ministry of Justice, over 21,000 prosecutions and 18,000 convictions for truancy were recorded in 2023 and 70% were against women.
On the topic of receiving little to no support, data from the Department of Education shows over 1.2million pupils in English schools have identified special educational needs – a third of whom have the highest level of need. Though some children in more deprived areas have been left waiting over a year for help.
Within Advance’s campaign, members recognise that schools and councils face significant financial struggles – especially at the minute – meaning they don’t always have the best support available, though that shouldn’t affect the government ability to amend the Education Act 1996 to remove the criminal offence of truancy – a key recommendation from Advance’s movement.
The theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day is ‘workplace mental health’, but this, when applied to children, translates to schools, colleges and universities.
Images: Benyamin Bohlouli and Amy Dennison
In related news:
How a men’s walking group is breaking the stigma around mental health
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