Closing schools puts vulnerable children in danger

SOME of the most heartbreaking stories of this pandemic have come from teachers desperately worried about pupils in their care.

Many children were locked down in unsafe homes, exposed to domestic violence, or had to listen to their parents crying about money. A significant number have just not returned to school.

Today Ofsted’s annual report lays bare just how serious the problem is. Chief inspector Amanda Spielman pulled no punches in warning that abuse could be going undetected because so many vulnerable children have dropped below the radar. The closure of schools during the first lockdown, combined with disruption to community health services, caused referrals to social care teams to plummet and created a “legacy of abuse and neglect” that local authorities are still responding to.

Some young children who were previously potty-trained lapsed back into nappies, while older children lost physical fitness and showed signs of mental distress, including an increase in eating disorders and self-harm.

Throughout the pandemic, the Evening Standard has highlighted the stories of the hidden victims, and reported on fears that domestic neglect, exploitation and abuse is going undetected. I have heard harrowing tales of the toll that the first lockdown had on the most vulnerable children. Some never left their homes and stayed in bed all day, while others were left to roam the streets and were exposed to gang life. Teachers told me some children returned to school with their eyes down, shoulders hunched and too nervous to speak to each other after being isolated for so long.

It is clear that school is about more than lessons. It cannot just be replaced with online lectures and emails. It is a place of calm, order, discipline, food and safety, which for too many vulnerable children is sadly not available at home. Teachers know their children and recognise early when something is not right. In normal times, around 20 per cent of notifications to local authorities about children come from schools and early years settings.

As this newspaper has made clear, it must be a national priority to keep schools and nurseries open throughout this pandemic.