SHS in the Media: Why Christmas is hard for disadvantaged pupils
News article from December 12, 2016
Our Interim CEO, Jaine Stannard, was published on SSAT this week, explaining why Christmas can be difficult for disadvantaged pupils. She begins:
“Christmas can be a difficult time of year. For some of us, the struggle comes from trying to think of something to buy Dad that isn’t another pair of socks. For others, it’s more serious. Disadvantaged pupils will often try to hide any apprehensive feelings they might have towards the holidays, so it’s important to consider issues which may be on the horizon for them in order to help.
I work for educational charity School-Home Support (SHS). Our school-based practitioners have worked with disadvantaged children and their families for over 30 years, helping them to overcome educational barriers such as poverty, housing issues, and abuse.
One of the biggest issues that we see rising around Christmas is domestic violence. Incidence of domestic violence increases at Christmas, for several reasons. More alcohol is consumed, there’s a pressure to be around relatives for longer periods of time, financial issues often arise… and so people can be emotional. Children who live in abusive or emotionally turbulent households often dread Christmas, and there can be noticeable after-effects when they return to school after witnessing violent incidents.”
You can read the full article here: https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/why-christmas-is-hard-for-disadvantaged-pupils/