The Best Years of Your Life?


‘We had it harder when I was younger’
People of a certain generation seem to wear this as though it is a badge of honour, the pride they take in surviving a terrible system makes it so they cannot comprehend that students now also have it hard.

Social Media
The power of social media in modern society is undeniable, many students are actually addicted to using their mobile phones and with this come numerous issues that just didn’t exist when I was younger. Access to phones allows every mistake, every comment, every awkward situation to be immortalised and shared across the world. This may even haunt them in the future – the recent raft of comments from people in high-profile posts or celebrities coming back to haunt them is a clear example of this.
Constant communication and the cloak of annonymity phones can afford result in bullying to reach more students more regularly: where home used to be a safe space it, sadly, is no longer is a refuge from bullies.

 At the time of writing the ASCL2018 released a study demonstrating the impact as perceived by headteachers which is a truly terrifying read

https://www.ascl.org.uk/news-and-views/news_news-detail.nine-out-of-10-headteachers-say-social-media-is-damaging-the-mental-health-of-pupils.html


Certainly Uncertain
I think that young people now face more uncertainty in their lives than any generation previously, the world is in a constant state of flux and this permeates into every level of consciousness. Students are bombarded with this perpetual uncertainty: global climate change; rising population numbers; the emergence of Artificial Intelligence and many more.
What impact does this have on them? Are we failing to prepare them for the harsh realities of the world they will face? Preparing them for jobs that will no longer exist?

Under Pressure
Exams and performance related pay. This link is catastrophic not just to teachers, but the students as well. Students' results no longer reflect just upon themselves but their teachers as well, to counteract this, many teachers likely (even without meaning it) apply huge amounts of pressure to already burdened students. The levels of anxiety I see around my school are truly saddening, students collapsing under the weight of expectation from themselves, their parents and their teachers doubtless contributing to depression, anxiety and self-harming.

Cause for celebration
Despite all the adversity the modern day teenager faces, there is much cause for hope and celebration. I have seen my students transform into young adults who will surely contribute greatly to society. They are conscientious, kind and multifaceted individuals whose compassion and acceptance are a credit to mankind.
During this week for international women’s day I had many fantastic discussions with students about equality, multi-culturalism and diversity.
Our job as educators is to inspire these qualities, not provoke fear. School is not the end of the world. Students need to know that we are there to support them throughout the whole process, because we may be the only source of positive support many will have.

 Moving forwards
Today is the ASCL conference, and there are numerous educational events around the country every weekend. While there is a huge focus on pedagogy and teacher well being, I'd love to see more of a drive emphasising ways in which we can address more of the problems our students face. The mental health support in schools is woefully understaffed and underfunded. When will we stand up, en masse,to fight this modern atrocity?

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