Children's hard truths: Stress related hospital admissions 50-60% higher during term times

In younger adolescent girls and boys, term time is associated with a 50–60% increase in weekly rates of stress related hospital admissions compared with holidays

I find it hard to share the type of research contained in this post, because I know so many excellent parents who have to and want to send their child to school. I don't want to frighten anyone, or make people feel they aren't doing their best for their child. On the other hand, when I read some of the profiles on our Who are home educators? page, or the school stories shared at Doing Education Differently, I feel I must speak out and hope someone will listen. Schools must change and parents must be supported if they want to educate their children in different ways.

The governments campaign around the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which overwhelmingly presents school as beneficial for children, represents a mass gaslighting attempt of the voices of children for whom school has caused significant suffering. Here is the research evidence to back those children's views:

• Stress related hospital admissions are 50-60% higher for young adolescents during school terms. These statistics represent the large number of children who have been made so ill with stress that they need to be hospitalised.

• Almost 1 in 5 teachers have seen students with knives at school. This data represents the large number of children who are forced to regularly attend an environment where they feel their lives to be in danger.

• OFSTED state that sexual harassment in schools is commonplace. This research represents the large number of children who are made to feel unsafe in their bodies every day at school.

• 1 in 5 children report having been bullied regularly in the last 2 weeks This information represents the large number of children who are forced to attend a workplace no adult would believe to be healthy or even legal.

Children aren't misbehaving, making things up or lacking resilience when they don't want to go to school. They are often making a sensible, evidence based choice.

If you would like to find out more about the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill please click here.