Senior Academic Consultant at University of York, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Leeds Children’s Hospital and CCLG member
“Schooldays are the best days of your life” used to be a common refrain and, while rarely true, schools, nurseries, universities and colleges do give an awful lot of positives to children and young people.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about whole new ways of schooling and, to some extent, let the rest of the world know about how hard it is to learn and not be with your teachers or classmates in the school environment. We can read in this issue about what this experience is like, and how learning mentors can link schools and students to maximise their learning and inclusion during treatment.
Beyond treatment, there is the challenge of getting ‘back into’ schooling. Some of this is based around worry: about infections, acceptance from peers, changes in physical appearance and the natural evolution of friendship groups, and worry about facing any physical challenges as a result of cancer and its treatment. And, sometimes, some parents just find it really difficult to let their child leave their side. These are all hugely understandable barriers that we need to help families get through.
Another challenge to overcome can be the tricky expectations placed on children by schools, colleges, parents and even young people themselves. We hear from those who have been through it on what to expect, and views from parents, healthcare and education staff on how we can make this better, as well as programmes which can assist with this.
It’s not all about how to align with formal educational establishments, though. In children’s cancer, we often use novel ways of communicating with children and families on treatment and procedures. We also hear from a surgeon, who uses drawings to educate and inform families on operations, and a play specialist who has written a booklet to help young patients understand hair loss as a result of their treatment.
As always, there’s lots of informative content for you to read and even I learnt something new.
