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UK Teach Primary Magazine: 'A heavy weight to carry' by Claire Tripp, 2019
- Thread starter Trish
- Start date
chicaguapa
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Thanks. I’ve got a similar one coming out in Teach Secondary in July. They actually commissioned it first, but Teach Primary got theirs out sooner. The article was easy to write as it’s everything I wanted to say to my daughter’s school (well almost 
).
Last year I got involved in a school’s decision to ban a student with ME from the prom because her attendance was too low and as a result the head teacher invited me to do some staff training on ME. It’s something I’d like to develop when I have more time.
My husband is a teacher so I have some insight and sympathy. But it breaks my heart that children with ME are being harmed by an unhealthy and inappropriate focus on attendance. It means the system in place isn’t fit for purpose.
In our case we were threatened with Children’s Services as I kept my daughter home, even though her 2-day CPET results later proved this was the correct approach for her. Even though my husband was a member of staff at the school. Work that one out!
).Last year I got involved in a school’s decision to ban a student with ME from the prom because her attendance was too low and as a result the head teacher invited me to do some staff training on ME. It’s something I’d like to develop when I have more time.
My husband is a teacher so I have some insight and sympathy. But it breaks my heart that children with ME are being harmed by an unhealthy and inappropriate focus on attendance. It means the system in place isn’t fit for purpose.
In our case we were threatened with Children’s Services as I kept my daughter home, even though her 2-day CPET results later proved this was the correct approach for her. Even though my husband was a member of staff at the school. Work that one out!
It's M.E. Linda
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Brilliant article @chicaguapa , I have already sent it to our daughter (T/A in a primary) and asked her to distribute.
Probably because he was on the staff @chicaguapa as they wouldn’t want others with any random illness saying oh well they were allowed to why not us
When my daughter got sick in the middle of her GCSE year I asked the school if she could drop a couple of subjects to make school manageable. The answer was no on the grounds that if they let her, they would have lots of others wanting to give up subjects too. As it happened her ME became moderate/severe very quickly and she never went back to school anyway.
I learned from that. When my healthy son was struggling with a subject that was extremely badly taught I simply told the school he wouldn't be turning up for the exam in that subject, so if they didn't want one of their brightest students to have a fail on his record, they would withdraw him from that subject - they did!
Edit: sorry, that was all pretty irrelevant. The article is great, @chicaguapa. Congratulations.
I learned from that. When my healthy son was struggling with a subject that was extremely badly taught I simply told the school he wouldn't be turning up for the exam in that subject, so if they didn't want one of their brightest students to have a fail on his record, they would withdraw him from that subject - they did!
Edit: sorry, that was all pretty irrelevant. The article is great, @chicaguapa. Congratulations.
chicaguapa
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
No, it was their parting gift when he went to another school, a nasty letter accusative letter posted to us on the last day of term. Very cowardly.
People can be so nasty about anything to do with illness
Andy
Senior Member (Voting rights)
Think this is the same article?
https://www.teachwire.net/news/understanding-me-and-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-in-children
Excellent article @chicaguapa
chicaguapa
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Thanks for posting it @Andy. I was hoping they’d put it online and now both the magazine and Teachwire have tweeted it as well. I’m sure this is because of the level of response to it on social media. My own tweet sharing the images (before it was online) has been seen over 13,000 times and has nearly 1,000 engagements. Much better that it’s shared by the magazines’ accounts though as they’ll have the target followers, so it’s great news.
chicaguapa
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Excellent! There’s another one coming out at the end of June aimed at Secondary school teachers. The message is broadly the same but has more relevant language to resonate better with the target audience.
@chicaguapa . There are subtle differences in Scottish system re additional support needs ( eg don' t have SENCOs , EHCPs etc - different support plans and roles and the whole GIRFEC agenda) -
if following up with more detail, or in more depth for secondary it may be worth bouncing it off someone within/ with working knowledge of Scottish education system to pop in a couple of sentences if UK wide distribution
if following up with more detail, or in more depth for secondary it may be worth bouncing it off someone within/ with working knowledge of Scottish education system to pop in a couple of sentences if UK wide distribution
chicaguapa
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I’m pretty sure, having read the magazine, that it’s based around the English school system. That said, it’s worth me looking for a Scottish equivalent or asking the publisher if they distribute anything in Scotland. So thanks.
Thanks @chicaguapa 