The Coronavirus pandemic has proven hard for all, but as schools close for the second time, students' mental health has plummeted to an all time low; feeling alone and uncertain as exams are cancelled again, for the second consecutive year.
GCSE and A level examinations have officially been called off for Year 13 and 11, instead they will be awarded teacher assessed grades. Their stress levels remain incredibly high as university offers, sixth form acceptances, and the future of all students remain uncertain and worrying.
Prime minister Borish Johnson and Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson's information about the so-called "alternatives" to sitting these national exams remain unclear and vague.
This leaves Year 13 with countless "mock" examinations to complete in order to secure evidence for their university offers while all the while juggling online school and strict lockdowns. Similarly, Year 12's will presumably be going into the examinations process next year with no prior exam experience since their SATs in Year 6 and a heavily disrupted start to A levels.
One Year 13 student weighs in with their circumstances: "I feel for all my peers who are frustrated and dissatisfied with their current grades, these past two years have been anything but normal. We are all still being tested relentlessly on content we've barely covered while simultaneously learning new content online. It's an incredibly stressful and uneasy time. Incredibly important decisions that shape our future are based on these exams, we feel as though we have no support."
Primary and secondary school students also face stressful times as online learning comes with its own challenges. Many don't have access to technology to participate in online learning, and we can not ignore dysfunctional family homes where children are still required to log in at 8:30 and pertain to a normal schedule that will inevitably be hard to follow in these circumstances. On top of this, feelings of isolation and loneliness are being increasingly reported as students can no longer meet and mingle with their friends at school.
Mind’s coronavirus survey results revealed the following:
People aged 18–24 reported worse mental health and wellbeing during the 2020 UK lockdown.
Nearly three quarters (73%) of students said that their mental health declined during the lockdown.
In unprecedented times like this, it is essential we provide children and students with as much support as possible, as well as clear, definitive answers to ease the uncertainty about what is to come. There is no way to maneuver through these difficult times without a collective togetherness that will provide unbreakable foundations for support and some sort of stability.
