VIEWS & OPINION


Do schools have a duty of care to nurture students’ social lives


remotely? Comment by ROSE HARDY, Headmistress at Habs Girls School (www.habsgirls.org.uk)


In addition to providing academic lessons for students, the challenge of learning remotely brings with it a raft of other complexities particularly when linked to the social and emotional wellbeing of young people today. Students, like adults, are currently facing one of the biggest changes of their lives. The face-to-face social interaction they once took for granted is no longer accessible to them and they now find themselves in a world reliant on technology to retain friendships. The impact of this is life changing for all. The question is, do schools have a duty of care to ensure students


maintain and develop social interaction with their peers while learning remotely? The answer is of course, yes, but in direct partnership with parents and guardians. Healthy social lives are just as important as learning; in fact they work in conjunction to develop well-rounded, productive, happy people. Yet, access to those relationships is now restricted by the imposed lockdown measures and so schools and parents must work together to support and facilitate the opportunity for children to socialise safely – at a distance.


Getting more creative However, this is no easy feat because every parent will have expectations and boundaries already set for their children – and no two will be the same. On that basis, schools cannot dictate how and when children spend time with their friends, but they can support and encourage the importance of doing this. During ‘school hours’ however, teachers can weave social interaction and pastoral care into every day learning to maximise the opportunity for students to connect and engage with their peers. From virtual assemblies, to remote house meetings, year group


virtual events and clubs, there are a myriad of opportunities to bring students closer together across varying age groups and also outside of their usual friendship circles. Keeping up with those all-important social interactions can reduce the likelihood of loneliness and isolation in the young too. For example, with sports days coming up during the summer term, schools will need to get more creative in terms of how they ensure calendar highlights like these are still celebrated remotely, to inspire team spirit and social camaraderie as a school community. The reality is, all children are different both in character and


personality, therefore a number will be feeling socially isolated at the moment. They may well log into their remote lessons but it does not necessarily mean they are reaching out to their friends in the same way. Schools must provide the right encouragement for each child to ensure they are getting the most from their learning and that they have the opportunity to socialise with their peers.


Young relationships are fragile Failure to interact can be the result of several factors, it might be that the child struggles to communicate when not face to face with others,


14 www.education-today.co.uk May 2020


it could be down to technical issues i.e. poor broadband connection or lack of available devices in the home to facilitate the use of video and voice contact. It may also be a sign that an individual is not coping with the current situation. Social relationships can be very fragile and volatile for young people,


especially for teens. There is also a danger that using technology and social media apps to interact may exacerbate feelings of isolation, particularly if some apps allow people to be blocked or ‘uninvited’. It’s easy for people to feel like they have been ‘switched off’ or excluded from a group. For younger children the challenges are slightly different. Schools


may have just started to get their Year 3 pupils to feel comfortable in a formal classroom setting and now they have switched to remote learning at home which is so far removed from what they have been getting used to. Some children may become quieter and more introverted as a result and they may not even mention how they feel to their parents. There is a tendency for young children just to ‘get on’ and we can be blinded as parents into thinking everything is good; perhaps too good? We have to keep checking in, just to be sure.


Reinforcing the permanent If schools were still open as usual (despite Covid-19) the impact of what is going on in the world would be diluted for children. Sadly, this is not the case and children are exposed in full to what is going on around them. They pick up on parental worries, fears, stress and they hear more than we often think. It’s likely that Covid-19 will knock the confidence of many children and they may be more cautious and fearful in the future as a result. It is really important that as schools we encourage parents to


reinforce ‘the permanent’ in our lives. This is temporary not forever and they need that positivity, reassurance and hope that we all need – school plays a huge role in this too, in partnership with parents. Positivity has to come from the top down during times like these.


For schools, supporting families pastorally is more important that anything else, because if children feel supported and well, that will be reflected in their ability and capacity to learn. This means supporting online safety, ensuring parents know what platforms and apps their children are using, how they are communicating with their friends etc. The key is to keep talking, for schools to open up more channels of communication with parents and to be there to offer guidance as needed. The partnership between school and home has never been more vital and if either party has concerns, they should feel able to reach out for help or advice at any point in the future.


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