By Isle of Wight Observer
Last week I left a note in the porch for the food delivery driver: “Sorry I’m out, please hide in shed.” As a language pedant, when I arrived home I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found him still in there.
I try to eat properly now, mostly buying raw ingredients, fresh meat and vegetables, not ready meals. I know the NHS is struggling and will for decades to come. We all need to look after ourselves a little better.
Mental health remains the greatest health challenge, and most of us are hopelessly addicted to the devices we walk around with. Social media encourages bad habits and inactivity; it’s a colossal waste of time.
Unfortunately, children are most adversely affected. Placing that iPhone in a child’s hand is like leaving them on a beach believing they could hold it up and repel a tsunami.
Why hasn’t government banned them from schools; why do parents allow their use virtually 24/7? Combine that with a sugary ultra- processed fast-food diet and it’s hardly surprising that so many kids struggle to concentrate or have mental health issues. I don’t remember how I learned to focus and pay attention, but I read a lot and interacted with people outdoors. My kids didn’t have bedroom TVs, but if they did, we would have insisted they went off at 9pm. Why should smart phones be any different?
In March, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said too many people were being diagnosed with mental health conditions. This didn’t go down well, particularly with mothers of kids with behavioural problems. Last week Nigel Farage agreed with him. That’s unusual; the left and right never agree on anything!
Older people struggle to understand why so many children and adults have mental health challenges. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, if you struggled to concentrate at school, they shouted at you – a lot. When that failed they usually hit you. Calling your parents was the ultimate sanction; no-one wanted that.
I had the attention span of an insect, particularly when the subject wasn’t of interest. I was always in the lowest set classes, the ones reserved for thickies,; no-one was on medication – we just wanted to muck about. I’m not advocating a return to the slipper or cane, but I do believe that for naughty disruptive boys like me, discipline worked. Just the threat of violence kept boys like me on the straight and narrow.
There were special schools of course; my little sister went to one, because she was stillborn, and brain damaged at birth.
No-one at our comprehensive had any formally diagnosed issues; you were either clever, middle of the road or thick. Teachers worked alone, heroically controlling 30 kids at a time, even at breaktime. I never once saw a teaching assistant or security guard. Hampshire County Council have just announced £2.4 million to support 44 additional SEN places across the county. The money is for ‘refurbishment and new buildings’ at four sites. It works out at £54,545 per pupil and won’t pay for teachers or support staff; it’s capital spending. It’s easy to see why Nigel and Wes think there’s an overdiagnosis of mental health problems!
Nearly 5 per cent of school children have additional needs, a rise of 71 per cent between 2018-2024. Local authorities have a statutory obligation to pay, and nationally, there’s a £3.3 billion funding deficit. Each school is required to fund the first £6,000 of a child’s additional needs; by 2028 the total bill is expected to rise another £2-3 billion, with areas like ours more affected than most.
There are long delays getting kids assessed, and, of course, every year of delay saves a fortune. There’s emerging evidence that some of the causes could have fairly simple solutions – perhaps we should be looking for them!