Children As Political Footballs

Doesn’t surprise me, I’m afraid:

Study reveals stressed out 7-11 year-olds | News crumb | EducationGuardian.co.uk

In the 1980s when I was a civil servant, we were one of Maggie Thatcher’s political footballs, kicked everywhere to score cheap goals in Parliament. Later administrations have done the same to teachers. But the Thatcher government instituted tests that made children the ongoing political footballs, along with the teachers. League tables. SATs. Subsequent Prime Ministers have not had the inclination to withdraw the SATs. They play to the gallery of pushy, ambitious parents. Isn’t this something the church should speak up about? This short book helps with ministry to ‘tweenagers’, but as well as minister to (with?) them, we need to advocate their cause in society. We campaign about other forms of abuse: what about this?

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