Jan. 28, 2024

Ep 47: The School Absence Crisis: What Caused It & How Can It Be Fixed?

Ep 47: The School Absence Crisis: What Caused It & How Can It Be Fixed?
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School absence is at crisis-level post-pandemic and doesn't seem to be budging much.We chat about the underlying causes, why playing the blame game won't help & what are the actionable steps that need to be taken to solve it.We look at a cross-party committee report from the House of Commons and the suggestions it made to the government.The fining system is limited and doesn't seem to be doing the job. Instead, it impacts low-income households disproportionately.What's the solution?Join us for a good chat!Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

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Had everyone welcome back to
another episode of Teacher

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Repeat.
My name is Dylan.

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00:00:02,860 --> 00:00:05,730
And my name is Dylan.
Hello from the two Dylans.

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00:00:06,220 --> 00:00:08,550
How are you doing?
My name is Aiden actually ohh

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00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,100
all the new listeners.
We've had lots of new listeners.

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00:00:11,110 --> 00:00:13,010
Yeah, really good.
The last episode went down a

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treat.
We should do serious stuff more

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00:00:14,420 --> 00:00:17,630
often.
I always remember someone,

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someone just has mentioned how
it's slowly declined from the

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start of the very first episode
about strikes.

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And then we did the episode.
It was after the episode we did

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when Rory came and it was just
completely.

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Mad, yeah.
Yeah, so let's try and get a bit

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of a semblance of order.
So last lesson, last lesson

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last.
Lesson you slipped into,

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teacher.
Mode then right.

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Last session kids were looking
at short multiplication.

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OK, so everyone listening this
No last episode.

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Our best day one and day 2 have
been released an episode.

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So really.
Really.

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We had 10.
Lessons.

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We had ten.
I think it was Rishi and the

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rest of his.
Cabinet.

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From Gillian Keegan.
Up to 10 and your family send me

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when I say stupid stuff.
They count for about 15.

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Don't they also love how you've
not won that T-shirt since you

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got it?
Anyone doesn't know Hayden.

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It's right there so you can grab
it.

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Yeah, there is a T-shirt that my
parents I was acquitted for him.

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Parents, are you listening?
He's not watched it once.

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He's not washed it.
He's not worn it.

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It's just been sat there.
I was gonna wear it today, but

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obviously I forgot Ohh wrong
way.

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Yeah, we are looking the camera.
Also, if you're not watching on

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the camera, I wonder if it
sounds different.

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Because you might notice if you
are watching that me and Dylan

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haven't got our usual
microphones set up here.

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We've got new little pop
Shields.

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Look at us.
Yeah, we feel really

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professional.
Isn't that very professional as

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we sit in your little tiny third
red room in our studio, you

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sorry studio.
But I tell you what, I'm very

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quickly on the studio now.
You do have like sound

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protection things on your walls.
I actually thought they were

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really small showers at one
point.

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But these things?
Yeah, maybe we'll post a picture

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on the Instagram for anyone who
can't see.

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Them little Lego things you can
put on there.

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Like a miniature.
Things, you know, the the the

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boards behind me, they're just
sound boards because it's very

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boxy in here, echoes a.
Lot, and it is a studio, as

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you've been saying.
But anyway, we had a really good

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response to our last episode.
I'm here.

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I've honestly been spending the
last two minutes stalling trying

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to remember what it was about.
I can't remember.

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Absolute fool.
How could you forget all this

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sometimes?
About workload reduction.

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Task Good.
I stalled them so that you can

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remember because I forgot as
well.

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Yeah.
Anyway, I went down a treat.

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We went through all the
different things and just had a

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chat about how teacher workload.
It's all a bit of a facade,

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isn't it?
The word workload until this

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funding.
If you want to know more about

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it, check out last week's a good
one.

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It's a good one.
We talked for a long time.

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It was an extended bumper
episode.

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Anyway, only one thing this week
I want to talk about, because we

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kind of introduced it last week.
Yeah.

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Yeah, you did earlier.
OK, You forgot about that.

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You did.
Go back and listen mate, you

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did.
Hey, how's your week So?

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You know last week when we
mentioned that your class had

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just made-up this forfeit thing
for me, we're losing this

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timetables battle, which of
course did.

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Well.
We've since had the forfeit and

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basically on Tuesday when I was
on duty outside, ohh man your

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your kids were so excited at the
prospect of chasing me.

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I went outside and within 20
seconds I had 25 year fours all

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crowding me, Some of them
grabbing my arms.

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I couldn't get away and I'm
like, ohh, don't do that get off

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me please.
And they're like we give you 3

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seconds Just started counting
like 3.

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I was like I've got run over and
I've gotta run.

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I can't run too fast because if
I pelt it and run into a kid Can

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you imagine?
So I had to do that classic like

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I'm pretending I'm really old
and can't run very fast like ohh

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running and they all called me.
Yeah, that they all caught me

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and it was really sweet.
So then once I once I was like,

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oh, this is annoying, now I even
let go of me.

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I was like, right, well, let's
get Mr. Price, shall we?

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They were like, yeah, like let's
all go to his window and do

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this.
And we put our hands up to our

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noses and we all came to your
window and you.

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Saw my blinds were closed.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Well then they obviously then
didn't leave me alone again.

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They were let's chase you again.
I was like, no, let's not.

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Let's not chase me again.
Let's do a conga line.

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So I started a conga line and
then all the other kids from the

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playground joined in.
I had about 100 children in the

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end.
And we went back to your class

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and to walk past the all wave at
you and you weren't there

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anymore.
We were just waved.

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Your empty classroom.
Ohh.

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Anyway.
But the overall summary of this

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is isn't it nice when the kids
just it's so stupid.

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There's little thing we did.
It's nothing.

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It's nothing to you.
It was nothing to me and I

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reckon it made some of those
kids days because they were

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just.
So bad about make their week.

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I swear to you every day in
maths they were like, is it

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Tuesday yet?
Like, honestly, they were really

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cool.
And then they were saying to me,

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you're going to chase him.
And I was like, I've got a

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meeting at break.
That's what it's doing.

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My mark.
And watch out the window.

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Yeah, but I did see the conga
line.

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Hilarious.
And then just you had I saw that

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your fires in your 60s.
Yeah, level there.

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So good.
Like a 200 child conga line out

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on the playground.
Yeah, so good.

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So that was kind of the
highlight of my week.

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Yeah, it was one of the
highlights of mine actually.

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Had a couple of things I wanted
to talk about.

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It just really made me.
Laugh.

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I'm sorry.
How's your week, Dan?

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Thank you.
You're never gonna ask.

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There was just one child came up
to me this week.

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It was so good.
And she had like 7 or 8 pieces

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of paper in her hand, not in a
pile.

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Obviously you've been crumbled
up or folding and stuff.

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And she was like like trying to
walk along And they were falling

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out.
She was picking up.

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She Ohh God, Mr. Price, Mr.
Price.

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So she put them down on my desk
and was training through them.

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OK, training for all these
papers looking.

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One minute I can't find your
one.

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And then she gave me a piece of
paper.

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It said best teacher ever.
Mr. Price had a football, had

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something else.
I think it was like a man with a

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beard obviously was like our
best teacher ever.

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Nice.
What's it?

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What's that in your hand?
She had a pile of best teacher

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ever posters for every single
teacher who teaches us and she

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and then she even after was
like, where can I give this to

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Missus Evans who's my partner
teacher?

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I was like, ohh why don't you
wait and not show me the other

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best teacher.
Everyone actually went driving

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through them. the PE teacher,
the music teacher, the head

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teacher, me.
Best teacher ever, best teacher

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ever with seven others who I've
got on my list.

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Yeah.
So that cracked me up.

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Also I don't have anyone else
gets who works in the school

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gets this.
I'm sure you do but it really

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made me stop and think the
amount of questions I get right

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when when any kind of
transition.

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So when they're coming in in the
morning or they're coming from

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break time or they're coming
from lunch.

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We doing.
It's one.

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Yeah.
One child after the other.

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One child after the other.
Usually something you can kind

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of just back off like ohh I feel
a bit poorly.

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OK have a drink.
Go and see how you feel.

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Ohh so and so said this in the
playground.

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Ohh where's that?
So and so let's talk to you just

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talk about it quickly.
Everything.

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It's part of the course.
There's one thing the other day

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John said to me, and I actually
replied to them something I've

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never really said before.
OK, so they.

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I don't care.
No, I said to them, OK, what?

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And what do you want me to do
about that?

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Like I was so I was like, oh,
that's so nasty.

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No, I know, I know.
But this is what they said, and

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this child can take it.
So there was no issue there.

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00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,840
Yeah, they come up to me and
said, Ohh, he's handed their

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book to me.
They're reading.

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00:06:38,730 --> 00:06:41,160
Yeah, and just to show me and as
if, as if I can solve this

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problem.
So gave me their book and goes.

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I was reading it, but I've lost
my page.

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Yeah.
OK, that's fair enough.

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Yeah.
OK.

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You tried looking for it?
Yeah.

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00:06:51,340 --> 00:06:52,250
Yeah.
I can't find it.

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And just handing me the book.
Ohh.

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00:06:54,860 --> 00:06:56,720
OK What?
What do you want?

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00:06:56,730 --> 00:06:58,870
What do you want me.
I don't know where you were.

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00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,190
And she went, ohh, yeah.
And then went back to see what

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00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,790
do you want me to do That's like
up there when they finish their

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00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,670
page and can I go to the next
one and and now say no no and

190
00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,710
then ohh OK most of the time
they'll just turn and.

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00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,370
Laugh, obviously.
This girl this week?

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Yeah.
Went OK.

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00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,890
Ohh.
So that was like, ohh darling,

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00:07:18,900 --> 00:07:20,050
of course you can go to your
next.

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00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,290
What do you do every other time
you finish page?

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00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:23,870
Go to the next one.
OK.

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00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:25,770
Yeah.
Carry on as ever been a problem?

198
00:07:26,700 --> 00:07:28,630
Imagine.
Wanting to do more work.

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00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:33,390
I mean, excuse me, that's not
today's piece of A4 paper very

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00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,670
much.
That that's that story is

201
00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,040
equivalent to me.
So our school, we do something

202
00:07:38,050 --> 00:07:39,960
called quizzing, yeah.
And the children read books,

203
00:07:40,030 --> 00:07:42,090
quizzing it just to kind of show
that they've understood it

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00:07:42,100 --> 00:07:44,800
really.
And it's just when when a kid

205
00:07:44,810 --> 00:07:47,210
comes up and says, oh, can you
help me on this one?

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00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,300
I know unless I've read the
book, which I almost definitely

207
00:07:50,310 --> 00:07:52,150
haven't.
There's about 5000 books in our

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00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,130
library.
I just, I'm just going, ohh, I

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00:07:55,140 --> 00:07:57,110
haven't read the book mate.
I don't know.

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00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:58,690
I don't know why would I know
the answer?

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00:07:58,700 --> 00:08:00,170
I can't.
I've got time to read the whole

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00:08:00,180 --> 00:08:02,110
215 page.
Book Can you have with this

213
00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:03,450
quiz?
Not really.

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00:08:03,460 --> 00:08:05,550
Yeah, to be honest with you,
it's the one of the only things

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00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,090
I absolutely, definitely am
worse than you, 'cause I haven't

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00:08:08,100 --> 00:08:10,760
read the book and you have, so I
definitely can't help you with.

217
00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,140
It's not funny.
So bad though, because I'm like,

218
00:08:14,180 --> 00:08:16,510
no.
Yeah, it's just we all know

219
00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,840
children ask useless questions
and we're just used to ban them

220
00:08:18,850 --> 00:08:19,910
off.
But that really caught me off

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00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,370
guard and I just didn't know
what to say is like, OK, there

222
00:08:23,380 --> 00:08:26,150
was, there was absolutely
nothing I can do to help you

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00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:27,570
with that.
You've had quite a funny week.

224
00:08:27,620 --> 00:08:28,910
Yeah, I know.
It's not even didn't finish.

225
00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:29,250
There.
Done.

226
00:08:29,260 --> 00:08:30,750
What else?
We did.

227
00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:34,470
We did this week.
That's a good joke.

228
00:08:34,870 --> 00:08:38,049
And we were doing fastening.
So buttons, zips, all that kind

229
00:08:38,059 --> 00:08:39,500
of thing.
We've done hinges previously.

230
00:08:39,510 --> 00:08:40,740
This is, this feels like the
next.

231
00:08:40,750 --> 00:08:43,220
I don't know why.
Why do puff fastenings feel like

232
00:08:43,230 --> 00:08:44,780
they lead on from zip from
hinges?

233
00:08:44,790 --> 00:08:46,170
I don't know.
But it does feel like it does

234
00:08:46,180 --> 00:08:47,500
anyway.
So we did hinges before

235
00:08:47,510 --> 00:08:49,040
Christmas.
We're doing zips and buttons

236
00:08:49,050 --> 00:08:50,900
now.
The children will be showing a

237
00:08:50,910 --> 00:08:54,120
button onto our flannel.
And we were doing a lesson all

238
00:08:54,130 --> 00:08:57,320
about different fasteners and
the advantages and disadvantages

239
00:08:57,410 --> 00:09:00,500
and why you might use poppers
for one thing, like a baby grow

240
00:09:00,550 --> 00:09:02,880
OK and why you might use buttons
for something else.

241
00:09:02,950 --> 00:09:04,940
And why is it might be more
beneficial on a coat for

242
00:09:04,950 --> 00:09:08,290
example, all these different
pros and cons and we were going

243
00:09:08,300 --> 00:09:10,410
for each one and we were getting
the children to talk to each

244
00:09:10,420 --> 00:09:13,610
other and say, OK, give me one
advantage, 1 disadvantage and

245
00:09:13,620 --> 00:09:15,130
somewhere you think we would use
it.

246
00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,090
So for poppers it was one
advantage, very easy

247
00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:20,720
disadvantage.
It doesn't completely close up

248
00:09:20,730 --> 00:09:22,280
the gap between the material, so
you get holes.

249
00:09:22,290 --> 00:09:24,390
So that has to not be a problem.
And where would you use it?

250
00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,130
We set a baby grows, we talk
about Rory and that that all is

251
00:09:27,140 --> 00:09:28,200
closed.
Pretty much our pop.

252
00:09:28,210 --> 00:09:29,770
Have you got baby?
Yeah, I do have babies.

253
00:09:29,780 --> 00:09:32,270
Never mentioned it.
I've shown I showed someone 3

254
00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,610
pictures of him this week and it
was the same picture to the same

255
00:09:34,620 --> 00:09:36,610
person every day.
So have you seen this yet?

256
00:09:36,620 --> 00:09:38,390
And they were like.
Yeah, yeah, sorry.

257
00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:39,850
Yesterday, when I told you that,
I'd already.

258
00:09:39,860 --> 00:09:40,470
Seen it?
Yeah, yeah.

259
00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:41,310
Lovely though.
Lovely.

260
00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:47,880
Anyway, this one, this out.
We did, and I think we were on,

261
00:09:48,890 --> 00:09:51,300
maybe on Velcro by this point.
Another one, right.

262
00:09:51,340 --> 00:09:52,940
So we're on Velcro.
We're going around court.

263
00:09:52,950 --> 00:09:54,360
OK, You've all chat on your
tables.

264
00:09:54,550 --> 00:09:57,460
Give me one advantage of Velcro.
And someone was like, yeah,

265
00:09:57,470 --> 00:09:59,070
really easy to zip off.
Really awesome.

266
00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:00,980
Yeah, cool.
Give me a disadvantage because

267
00:10:00,990 --> 00:10:02,640
Velcro seems that easy.
It's actually harder for

268
00:10:02,650 --> 00:10:04,070
children to sometimes think why
Belgrove.

269
00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,260
Because Velcro is like the.
Ultimate star and everything.

270
00:10:06,270 --> 00:10:08,870
Yeah, literally.
It's so simple, but why would

271
00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,740
you not use it?
And we basically ended up saying

272
00:10:11,750 --> 00:10:15,200
because you can have other
fasteners and more sturdy Velcro

273
00:10:15,210 --> 00:10:16,930
is very easy to come off, so
it's obviously not always

274
00:10:16,940 --> 00:10:18,120
suitable.
Anyway said to this charge she

275
00:10:18,130 --> 00:10:21,000
put hand up for a disadvantage
and like yes and she went.

276
00:10:21,090 --> 00:10:24,710
I was just in a hole and I saw
Mr Stevens in his shorts and he

277
00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,960
looked really weird.
Anyway the disadvantaged and she

278
00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,210
and she carried and honestly I
was like and I just had to say

279
00:10:33,220 --> 00:10:37,330
to her I was like ohh OK I I
felt bad because I felt like I

280
00:10:37,340 --> 00:10:39,710
was facilitating this out of
nowhere.

281
00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,520
Honestly she just been out to do
a group quick come back into.

282
00:10:42,530 --> 00:10:44,550
This I was doing PE.
Yeah, she's like, yeah, he's

283
00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:46,470
wearing shorts.
He looked really weird and I was

284
00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:47,710
like.
Ohh you.

285
00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:50,450
Let's let's not be too mean to
him, OK?

286
00:10:50,460 --> 00:10:52,240
Maybe he looked a bit weird.
We don't just say it in front of

287
00:10:52,250 --> 00:10:54,330
everyone.
Really funny, if one of my kids

288
00:10:54,340 --> 00:10:56,370
that's anywhere about you would
have been like, yeah, what was

289
00:10:56,380 --> 00:10:57,060
he wearing?
His ogre.

290
00:10:58,040 --> 00:10:59,590
I'm sorry, but you were nicer
than.

291
00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:01,000
I am.
No, I just immediately felt bad

292
00:11:01,010 --> 00:11:03,340
because the whole conversation
we had before about even the

293
00:11:03,350 --> 00:11:06,000
children think it's weird when
men have like, legs out.

294
00:11:06,010 --> 00:11:08,940
And yeah, it's just it's.
It's not something that's

295
00:11:08,950 --> 00:11:09,660
normal.
Yeah.

296
00:11:09,730 --> 00:11:11,680
And I was like, ohh, my going
into this.

297
00:11:11,730 --> 00:11:13,970
It is funny though, like, I
think it's more that it's

298
00:11:13,980 --> 00:11:17,210
probably more that we wear
trousers in 1999 at the time, So

299
00:11:17,220 --> 00:11:19,530
when they do see us in something
else, especially me who wears

300
00:11:19,540 --> 00:11:22,700
the same clothes all the time,
you see me anything different

301
00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:24,730
and weird.
You in sportswear?

302
00:11:26,250 --> 00:11:29,050
Yeah, I had one sock inside out
as well.

303
00:11:30,970 --> 00:11:33,930
One of the kids on the floor,
one showing them what to do and

304
00:11:33,940 --> 00:11:35,640
the whole I'm standing up and
just put his hand up.

305
00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,400
One of your socks is inside out.
I was like, alright, OK, it's

306
00:11:38,410 --> 00:11:39,430
nothing that all.
The kids laughing?

307
00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:40,490
OK, fine.
Did you wanna check your

308
00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:41,800
spelling mistakes?
You independent, right?

309
00:11:41,810 --> 00:11:43,730
Or is it just my socks that you
can notice from Mark?

310
00:11:46,370 --> 00:11:48,400
Ohh Yeah.
Anyway, one last thing before we

311
00:11:48,410 --> 00:11:50,040
move on.
And this has got kind of just a

312
00:11:50,050 --> 00:11:52,780
bit of advice, I guess, to
people who maybe early on in

313
00:11:52,790 --> 00:11:56,220
their career, even you, uh, we
played this game, So we finished

314
00:11:56,230 --> 00:12:00,180
after like the first time in
about a year where we finished

315
00:12:00,230 --> 00:12:02,580
the lesson and we had a very
awkward amount of time left.

316
00:12:02,590 --> 00:12:05,480
It was like 1520 minutes.
Wow, we're reading a class book

317
00:12:05,490 --> 00:12:07,580
in English and we do English
set.

318
00:12:07,590 --> 00:12:09,850
So I didn't want to read the
class book to them because they

319
00:12:09,860 --> 00:12:11,220
would all be on different points
of the book.

320
00:12:11,260 --> 00:12:13,800
It would mess everything up.
So about 20 minutes.

321
00:12:13,810 --> 00:12:16,520
I was like, OK, listen, if you
guys can go and get your stuff

322
00:12:16,610 --> 00:12:19,100
very sensibly and come back and
sit down, I'll get a little game

323
00:12:19,110 --> 00:12:21,230
ready for us.
And we played Mad Libs for

324
00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,170
anyone who doesn't know, Mad
Libs is where there's a story

325
00:12:24,180 --> 00:12:28,410
with gaps, OK And you'll say to
them, OK, give me an adjective,

326
00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,030
give me a noun, give me a plural
noun.

327
00:12:31,260 --> 00:12:34,070
And you go through and it's like
a mini spag lesson because you

328
00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,110
can make it that way by talking
about I want an adjective and I

329
00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:38,500
go running.
I'm like, ohh, that's not an

330
00:12:38,510 --> 00:12:40,050
adjective.
That's a verb.

331
00:12:40,060 --> 00:12:42,210
It's it's an action word.
An adjective describes

332
00:12:42,220 --> 00:12:44,390
something.
So it's, it's still educational,

333
00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,340
but it's so funny.
And the kids were just, this

334
00:12:47,390 --> 00:12:50,140
always goes down so well of them
cause it's complete nonsense.

335
00:12:50,190 --> 00:12:52,120
It's like give me, give me a
noun and they go toilet.

336
00:12:52,130 --> 00:12:54,240
And I'm like excellent, cause I
know it's gonna be crazy in the

337
00:12:54,250 --> 00:12:56,000
story.
So you put toilet in, you put a

338
00:12:56,010 --> 00:12:57,820
person down.
They had Olivia Rodrigo.

339
00:12:57,890 --> 00:12:59,520
Let's put her in.
Who's a singer.

340
00:12:59,570 --> 00:13:01,160
Yeah.
All these random stuff.

341
00:13:01,170 --> 00:13:04,180
And at the end you press
generate and it generates this

342
00:13:04,190 --> 00:13:06,190
story where the gaps being
filled in by the way.

343
00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:07,580
So put it into a little.
Exactly.

344
00:13:07,590 --> 00:13:09,890
So it's now it's a small
narrative where on its own the

345
00:13:09,900 --> 00:13:10,910
narrative would be really
boring.

346
00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:12,300
Like a pizza party.
Right.

347
00:13:12,370 --> 00:13:15,140
And so our pizza party was, I
felt so lucky this week to have

348
00:13:15,150 --> 00:13:17,710
a pizza with toilets and bogeys
on them.

349
00:13:17,940 --> 00:13:20,310
And then they win.
Yeah, the kids are losing their

350
00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,630
minds.
And when they hear their word in

351
00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:24,330
the story, they're like, that
was my word.

352
00:13:24,340 --> 00:13:26,020
And now it's on the it's on a
pizza.

353
00:13:26,030 --> 00:13:29,690
And we can't eat it, can we?
And it was so, so, so nice.

354
00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,660
I had eight kids at the end come
up to me.

355
00:13:31,670 --> 00:13:32,860
Can you write it on a piece of
paper?

356
00:13:32,870 --> 00:13:34,350
I'm gonna Google it and do it at
home.

357
00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:35,810
So what is it then?
What is it a problem?

358
00:13:35,820 --> 00:13:37,650
It's just madness.
You can just Google Madlib Mad

359
00:13:37,660 --> 00:13:40,130
Libs and it's Mad Libs is like
the name, it's like charades,

360
00:13:40,140 --> 00:13:41,650
right?
So it's not like a set thing.

361
00:13:41,660 --> 00:13:43,910
It's just called Mad Libs.
So loads of people who do Mad

362
00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,150
Libs, other companies and stuff.
Yeah, do if your kids like a

363
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:49,240
little mini 1015 minute GPS
thing.

364
00:13:49,310 --> 00:13:52,360
It was so engaging.
And the idea that loads of kids

365
00:13:52,370 --> 00:13:55,320
at the end were laughing
hysterically had basically just

366
00:13:55,330 --> 00:13:58,670
on the GPS and without realising
and come to us to do it at home.

367
00:13:58,680 --> 00:14:00,780
Yeah, I was like Christ, that is
what we need to be doing with

368
00:14:00,790 --> 00:14:03,320
these children.
Yeah, finding fun ways like we

369
00:14:03,330 --> 00:14:05,920
always do with your blow dart
maths and all that kind of

370
00:14:05,930 --> 00:14:07,040
stuff.
That was nonsense.

371
00:14:07,090 --> 00:14:10,960
It's nonsense, but it sums up
how I like to do my teaching and

372
00:14:10,970 --> 00:14:13,540
you, I think, which is if the
kids are fully engaged in

373
00:14:13,550 --> 00:14:16,090
something, you can, you can hide
the learning almost.

374
00:14:16,100 --> 00:14:18,730
Yeah, yeah, like you can just
recap stuff, get them to think.

375
00:14:18,740 --> 00:14:20,670
About learning as a requirement
almost to play the game

376
00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:22,260
properly, which they really
wanna play exactly.

377
00:14:22,270 --> 00:14:23,780
You know adjectives You can't,
really.

378
00:14:23,790 --> 00:14:25,200
Precisely.
And then you can turn around and

379
00:14:25,210 --> 00:14:27,190
say someone that said big and I
was like no, no, no, no.

380
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,030
This needs to be the funniest
story ever.

381
00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:30,150
Yeah.
So then they go away and they

382
00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,750
think, ohh OK, even if they
think a better word than big or

383
00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,270
a more exotic word like you
would have seen before.

384
00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,750
Like yeah, we were doing some
reading and A and a one of the

385
00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,070
vocab words we looked at was
ancient, very simple word.

386
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,750
But for children who are like 7
or 8-9, not one they'd often

387
00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:44,840
use.
And they were using words like

388
00:14:44,850 --> 00:14:48,090
ancient and flamboyant and stuff
that were on our vocab war.

389
00:14:48,310 --> 00:14:51,140
It was just nice because then it
goes in the story, it's just

390
00:14:51,150 --> 00:14:52,720
hidden learning.
And then my favourite types of

391
00:14:52,730 --> 00:14:55,400
things, I think, where the
children are almost tricked into

392
00:14:55,450 --> 00:14:56,580
learning for having a good.
Time.

393
00:14:56,590 --> 00:14:58,700
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Can you spell flamboyant?

394
00:14:58,750 --> 00:15:00,760
Yeah, I can.
It's Ohh.

395
00:15:00,770 --> 00:15:03,420
Jingle, you could save by the
bell.

396
00:15:05,650 --> 00:15:07,740
So as you can tell from the
title, we're going to have a

397
00:15:07,750 --> 00:15:09,660
little chat about absence and I
say little chat.

398
00:15:09,670 --> 00:15:11,160
I think it's going to be another
long one.

399
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:12,910
We're gonna try and aim for an
hour but it's a bit over.

400
00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,000
It's because having a good
conversation, but absence is a

401
00:15:16,010 --> 00:15:20,140
huge focal point at the minute.
In education we've talked about

402
00:15:20,150 --> 00:15:22,760
teacher workload, reduction,
strikes, all that kind of stuff

403
00:15:22,830 --> 00:15:25,750
almost come across sometimes
quite self centred, can't it?

404
00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,290
We're talking about our
experiences and we always trying

405
00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:31,270
to put to the front actually the
reason we're going on strike and

406
00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,180
the reason we talk about
well-being is because at the end

407
00:15:33,190 --> 00:15:35,340
of the day, that's what impacts
the children the most.

408
00:15:35,410 --> 00:15:39,010
Because no matter what people
say or think, I know for a fact

409
00:15:39,070 --> 00:15:42,390
that as teachers, the individual
children and all of them

410
00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,570
together are what is at the
front of our mind.

411
00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,630
That's what we want to get the
most out of this whole system.

412
00:15:48,020 --> 00:15:53,870
So absence is a big, big, big
barrier to achieving that when

413
00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,090
actually they're not even
getting into the school

414
00:15:56,100 --> 00:16:00,350
building.
There's a huge kind of focal on

415
00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:04,270
it right now because a post
COVID absence is worse than

416
00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,510
ever.
It is not recovered.

417
00:16:06,950 --> 00:16:09,040
We've got some stats that we're
gonna go through them.

418
00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,640
Before we go through these
stats, as a teacher, why is it

419
00:16:12,650 --> 00:16:13,940
that we wanted to have this
chat?

420
00:16:13,950 --> 00:16:15,320
Why?
Why do we think it's worth

421
00:16:15,330 --> 00:16:18,170
talking about and do the do the
stats we'll talk about in the

422
00:16:18,180 --> 00:16:20,910
future kind of reflect what you
see as a teacher?

423
00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:26,850
100% it's it is it is crazy
different and I do wonder if

424
00:16:26,860 --> 00:16:29,900
it's like that for everyone.
I clearly and we look at the

425
00:16:29,910 --> 00:16:31,750
stats, you know, on average,
clearly it is.

426
00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,490
But you know I'd like to know if
my experience has been similar

427
00:16:36,500 --> 00:16:38,410
to most people or worse than
maybe the.

428
00:16:38,420 --> 00:16:41,110
So what do you?
See that is different to before

429
00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,800
COVID.
Just, there's just, OK, two main

430
00:16:44,810 --> 00:16:48,420
things, I think maybe three.
One of them is maybe four, maybe

431
00:16:48,430 --> 00:16:51,210
four, maybe 6 when when kids are
off.

432
00:16:51,220 --> 00:16:53,870
So in the last like three years,
I've noticed that when kids are

433
00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,600
off, it just tends to be a much
longer period than it ever was

434
00:16:57,610 --> 00:16:58,360
before.
Right.

435
00:16:58,370 --> 00:17:00,300
You quite often used to get kids
off one day.

436
00:17:00,580 --> 00:17:02,400
It's like one day they were
they, you know, they had a

437
00:17:02,410 --> 00:17:05,480
stonking cold and but there's
that one peak day we just feel

438
00:17:05,490 --> 00:17:07,579
like rubbish and they're off
that day back in the next day.

439
00:17:07,950 --> 00:17:09,980
And at the moment it's kind of
like, Oh yeah, two weeks off.

440
00:17:09,990 --> 00:17:13,480
So two weeks, you had a cold two
week, two weeks off.

441
00:17:13,490 --> 00:17:15,530
And I'm finding that that's
happening a lot.

442
00:17:15,589 --> 00:17:19,560
But also like the threshold of
like, just what what kids are

443
00:17:19,569 --> 00:17:22,339
off for just seems to be way
more.

444
00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,460
That's the way I'm looking for.
Just like really?

445
00:17:25,470 --> 00:17:27,680
You're off for that.
I would never say that to a kid,

446
00:17:27,690 --> 00:17:29,800
No, of course, because we've
said before on our podcast, you

447
00:17:29,810 --> 00:17:33,500
know, 99.9% of the time it's
not, it's not really the kids

448
00:17:33,510 --> 00:17:36,010
fault like I do think it is as a
parent, especially if primary

449
00:17:36,020 --> 00:17:37,880
school, thinking of right now,
secretary school may be a bit

450
00:17:37,890 --> 00:17:39,500
different.
Is kind of the parents

451
00:17:39,510 --> 00:17:41,360
responsibility really to get
your kids to school if they're

452
00:17:41,370 --> 00:17:43,630
six years old, isn't it?
On the whole, they'll be certain

453
00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,860
things we'll talk about later,
SND, you know, mental health,

454
00:17:46,870 --> 00:17:49,520
different illness, we know there
are, but we're talking

455
00:17:49,530 --> 00:17:51,500
run-of-the-mill.
Yeah, I'm talking right now,

456
00:17:51,510 --> 00:17:53,450
just just they just the kids,
you know, they're just a bit

457
00:17:53,460 --> 00:17:54,410
poorly.
They don't want school.

458
00:17:54,420 --> 00:17:55,910
So I'm not talking to legitimate
absences.

459
00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,850
I'm talking like you, just
polite.

460
00:17:57,860 --> 00:18:00,140
Sure.
You know, or maybe even going on

461
00:18:00,150 --> 00:18:02,230
holiday or something like that.
So do you think we'll talk about

462
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:03,480
holidays?
That's really interesting

463
00:18:03,490 --> 00:18:05,840
because I think we're gonna have
some different opinions there.

464
00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:10,520
But so in terms of that kind of
idea of children off for longer,

465
00:18:10,590 --> 00:18:12,760
I've not thought about that, but
that's absolutely true.

466
00:18:12,830 --> 00:18:15,800
Do you think that's a hangover
from the COVID, you know, stay

467
00:18:15,810 --> 00:18:18,380
indoors thing where you know
even when you are feeling well

468
00:18:18,390 --> 00:18:22,320
with COVID it was no five days
indoors, no matter how you feel

469
00:18:22,330 --> 00:18:25,040
five days indoors, do you think
that's had a bit of a hangover?

470
00:18:25,050 --> 00:18:26,680
Do you think the trust has been
eroded?

471
00:18:26,690 --> 00:18:28,500
What?
What do you think of the reasons

472
00:18:28,510 --> 00:18:29,770
for what you're?
Saying, I've not thought about

473
00:18:29,780 --> 00:18:31,200
it before, but that's gotta be,
isn't it?

474
00:18:31,210 --> 00:18:34,370
So all I have thought about is
it's not a coincidence that

475
00:18:34,380 --> 00:18:36,920
since COVID, the absence is a
massive problem.

476
00:18:36,930 --> 00:18:38,470
Sure, it's definitely linked.
Yeah.

477
00:18:38,510 --> 00:18:40,140
So what part of COVID?
I don't know.

478
00:18:40,150 --> 00:18:42,610
And I think maybe that's true.
It is the whole like all your,

479
00:18:42,620 --> 00:18:44,490
you know, you've got COVID and
not even ill with COVID.

480
00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:45,960
A lot of the time.
Some people weren't ill with it,

481
00:18:45,970 --> 00:18:48,550
like they just had it stay at
home, you know, like a first.

482
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:49,740
Was it like 13 days?
It was.

483
00:18:49,750 --> 00:18:50,900
Like at first it was about two
weeks.

484
00:18:50,910 --> 00:18:52,330
Yeah.
And it's kind of like, yeah, I

485
00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:55,530
do think maybe, maybe we've got
a bit of used to the idea of,

486
00:18:55,580 --> 00:18:57,450
ah, it's OK to have a bit of
time.

487
00:18:57,620 --> 00:18:58,900
Let's go.
If you're like a little bit

488
00:18:58,910 --> 00:18:59,850
poorly.
Yeah.

489
00:18:59,910 --> 00:19:02,220
Or you know you just you know
you wanna milk and have another

490
00:19:02,230 --> 00:19:03,300
couple of days out of it, I
don't know.

491
00:19:03,310 --> 00:19:05,420
But it's definitely a problem
since COVID.

492
00:19:05,430 --> 00:19:06,700
And I think what I can say, I
agree.

493
00:19:06,710 --> 00:19:09,150
And I think before we go into
these details now and break

494
00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,280
everything down, we're gonna
look at a report that was this

495
00:19:12,290 --> 00:19:15,160
committee that was part of the
House of Commons across party

496
00:19:15,170 --> 00:19:18,320
thing that kind of put their
findings and their ideas towards

497
00:19:18,330 --> 00:19:20,140
the government going to talk
about in a second alterative

498
00:19:20,150 --> 00:19:22,230
absence and whether we agree on
what we think can be done.

499
00:19:22,530 --> 00:19:25,120
I think what I want to lump in
with absence as well though is

500
00:19:25,130 --> 00:19:28,530
lateness.
And this idea of yeah, it seems

501
00:19:28,540 --> 00:19:32,470
to be for a lot of people now at
both children and adults that

502
00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,510
they think it's OK to be late
and there's there's no, there's

503
00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:37,810
no rush anymore.
Ohh, no.

504
00:19:37,820 --> 00:19:40,670
We've got to get to school on
time because, you know, every,

505
00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:42,410
every second of learning is
really important.

506
00:19:42,500 --> 00:19:44,860
And in the early parts of my
career, I was definitely

507
00:19:44,870 --> 00:19:46,910
someone, even as a teacher.
I kind of rolled my eyes

508
00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:48,930
sometimes to that.
But all right, 5 minutes here

509
00:19:48,940 --> 00:19:51,850
and there is not going to hurt.
But we're talking now about if

510
00:19:51,860 --> 00:19:56,050
children are late every single
day to school and it's by half

511
00:19:56,060 --> 00:19:59,760
an hour, 40 minutes, sometimes
the entire first lesson.

512
00:19:59,970 --> 00:20:02,740
If you actually look back at a
week at the end, there might be

513
00:20:02,750 --> 00:20:05,940
some children who, although they
are in school every day, missed

514
00:20:05,950 --> 00:20:08,520
80% of their mass learning.
If you teach maths first, yeah,

515
00:20:08,530 --> 00:20:11,440
yeah, they missed every single
registration session when the

516
00:20:11,450 --> 00:20:13,240
school's trying to do some catch
up groups with them.

517
00:20:13,290 --> 00:20:16,260
And inevitably, and we'll talk
about the groups who are hit

518
00:20:16,270 --> 00:20:18,990
more by absences.
Inevitably the children you want

519
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,630
to do the most work with and the
most catch up with to help from

520
00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:25,840
the COVID absences and to boost
their their attainment are the

521
00:20:25,850 --> 00:20:28,100
children who are off.
So there's a double whammy.

522
00:20:28,170 --> 00:20:29,930
There, of course, we've got
these interventions running and

523
00:20:29,940 --> 00:20:31,830
only 30% of the children are in
for them.

524
00:20:31,910 --> 00:20:36,070
So it it's it's lateness,
absence, the whole kind of.

525
00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:41,740
Attitude towards school and its
importance have completely to me

526
00:20:41,750 --> 00:20:43,990
being turned upside down.
It's a bit too laid back now,

527
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:45,350
not everyone because I do seem
to.

528
00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:47,890
I have found over the last few
years it is repeat offenders.

529
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,210
I'm not finding that all thirty
of my class are sporadically

530
00:20:52,220 --> 00:20:54,660
having different sort of days
where there maybe not in or they

531
00:20:54,670 --> 00:20:57,010
coming in quite late.
It is generally over the last

532
00:20:57,020 --> 00:21:00,530
few years, it's the same handful
of families that you know, like

533
00:21:00,540 --> 00:21:02,570
where the kids are coming in.
So really, really.

534
00:21:02,580 --> 00:21:04,860
Like, with that in mind then,
and we're gonna talk about this

535
00:21:04,870 --> 00:21:07,000
later, there's got to be some
underlying things going on as

536
00:21:07,010 --> 00:21:09,280
well.
We gotta be What are the reasons

537
00:21:09,350 --> 00:21:11,460
that this has happened Now?
COVID is obviously going to be a

538
00:21:11,470 --> 00:21:13,780
big one.
The erosion of trust, I think,

539
00:21:13,850 --> 00:21:16,220
between the average person and
the government.

540
00:21:16,230 --> 00:21:19,080
When when you turn around and
tell people that schools closed

541
00:21:19,210 --> 00:21:23,480
for children and it's because of
this and we say it's OK, that's

542
00:21:23,490 --> 00:21:25,170
going to erode trust eventually,
we're OK.

543
00:21:25,180 --> 00:21:26,660
Well, you close the schools for
two months.

544
00:21:26,670 --> 00:21:28,770
Why can't I take my kid?
Out for I'll never forget Boris.

545
00:21:28,850 --> 00:21:30,930
You know, I I know I've said
this on the podcast ages ago,

546
00:21:30,940 --> 00:21:33,010
but I've gotta say again,
because I'll never ever forget

547
00:21:33,020 --> 00:21:34,080
it.
It's like a core memory of mine

548
00:21:34,090 --> 00:21:36,180
now was when that Christmas.
I don't know what year it was

549
00:21:36,190 --> 00:21:38,710
2121.
I think it was 2021.

550
00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,310
Quick Christmas 2020.
Yeah.

551
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:44,170
Needing only 2021 January where
he was Adam you know everything

552
00:21:44,180 --> 00:21:46,540
was saying we should not be
sending kids back to school.

553
00:21:46,550 --> 00:21:49,970
We were at like peak peak COVID
times terrible terrible time.

554
00:21:50,420 --> 00:21:53,110
Everything was pointing towards
let's not send kids back to

555
00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,010
school straight away after the
Christmas holidays.

556
00:21:55,140 --> 00:21:56,830
Boris adamant we were going to
do it.

557
00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,200
We were all went in for one day
and then the next day he closed

558
00:21:59,210 --> 00:22:02,590
the schools that for me just
that sort of summarises what

559
00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:04,480
you're saying there like I I
lost.

560
00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:06,580
I don't have much faith in it in
him anyway.

561
00:22:06,630 --> 00:22:10,290
But from that point onwards I
like I absolutely had zero hope

562
00:22:10,300 --> 00:22:12,770
that even for the future of of
the country with that kind of

563
00:22:12,780 --> 00:22:15,480
leadership and I can imagine a
lot of parents that's you know

564
00:22:15,570 --> 00:22:19,120
that kind of thing Why would you
trust the government like or you

565
00:22:19,130 --> 00:22:20,940
need to be in school.
But also, no, it's fine.

566
00:22:20,950 --> 00:22:22,050
Last second.
Change it.

567
00:22:22,110 --> 00:22:25,300
Of course they're going to start
losing trust in this advice is a

568
00:22:25,310 --> 00:22:27,880
bit hit and miss, really,
because last year I spent 13

569
00:22:27,890 --> 00:22:30,240
days off, three times actually,
over the year.

570
00:22:30,250 --> 00:22:32,750
And kid was fine.
My kid find symptoms and they

571
00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,210
missed out on all this stuff.
It must be it must be really

572
00:22:35,220 --> 00:22:36,500
frustrating.
It was frustrating for us as

573
00:22:36,510 --> 00:22:39,680
teachers I think before we get
into all details again, I know

574
00:22:39,690 --> 00:22:42,220
we're gonna have a really
interesting chat here but I I

575
00:22:42,230 --> 00:22:44,860
really don't want this to turn
into a point the finger of blame

576
00:22:44,870 --> 00:22:46,260
thing.
I know we've already said it's

577
00:22:46,270 --> 00:22:48,370
the parents responsibility to
get children in.

578
00:22:48,380 --> 00:22:50,380
That is true.
But there are going to be

579
00:22:50,390 --> 00:22:53,260
reasons why there's this huge
trends.

580
00:22:53,350 --> 00:22:55,580
These huge trends don't happen
for nothing.

581
00:22:55,620 --> 00:22:57,220
There's going to be some
underlying reasons.

582
00:22:57,230 --> 00:23:00,240
We're going to try and get into
them and think, OK, well, it's

583
00:23:00,250 --> 00:23:02,470
going to take a long while to
fix, but what can we do to fix

584
00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:03,680
them?
So let's get into some

585
00:23:03,690 --> 00:23:06,410
statistics.
These can't be, you know, argued

586
00:23:06,420 --> 00:23:08,230
with this is just what has
happened.

587
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,160
So it's as simple as that.
Well, I don't know about.

588
00:23:10,170 --> 00:23:11,970
That Yeah.
Well, it was it from the

589
00:23:11,980 --> 00:23:15,390
government.
So absence has doubled from pre

590
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,080
COVID to 2023.
So just before COVID, 2019

591
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,810
absent ran at about fourish
percent 4 to 5%.

592
00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:25,790
After COVID it's almost hitting
8%.

593
00:23:25,860 --> 00:23:28,410
So again, 4 to 8 might not sound
like a lot.

594
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,450
Think about the hundreds of
thousands of children.

595
00:23:30,460 --> 00:23:31,520
And that's affecting every
single.

596
00:23:31,530 --> 00:23:33,800
Day of the relationship.
Double, double, double, doubled.

597
00:23:33,810 --> 00:23:35,840
It's doubled, yeah.
Where you had three children

598
00:23:35,850 --> 00:23:37,850
persistently absent, you know
have six in your class.

599
00:23:37,860 --> 00:23:39,760
Yeah, And talking about being
persistently absent.

600
00:23:39,770 --> 00:23:42,740
And there's a threshold for
this, It simply means that this

601
00:23:42,750 --> 00:23:44,610
isn't A1 off problem.
Like you said, this becomes a

602
00:23:44,620 --> 00:23:47,080
repeat offence.
Yeah, one in five children are

603
00:23:47,090 --> 00:23:49,080
defined.
As persistently absent in

604
00:23:49,090 --> 00:23:50,740
school.
One of the one of five of the

605
00:23:50,750 --> 00:23:52,440
absent.
So one of five of the eight.

606
00:23:52,450 --> 00:23:55,160
No, no one in five children.
One in five children.

607
00:23:55,170 --> 00:23:58,410
One in five children, 20% of
children persistently absent if

608
00:23:58,420 --> 00:24:01,090
you walked into a school.
One in five of any of the

609
00:24:01,100 --> 00:24:02,570
children in school are
persistently.

610
00:24:02,650 --> 00:24:05,360
There's 20% off.
Kids are persistently.

611
00:24:05,370 --> 00:24:08,590
Explain why the 8% absence,
That's that's rolling.

612
00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,660
So any given day, 8% of kids are
off.

613
00:24:10,670 --> 00:24:11,570
OK.
OK.

614
00:24:11,620 --> 00:24:13,640
To be persistently absent.
Yeah.

615
00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:17,350
You have to be off for 10% or
more of school time of the year,

616
00:24:17,830 --> 00:24:19,190
just in general.
Yeah, exactly.

617
00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,110
So to be off for 10% or more, if
you think about it, that's one

618
00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:25,010
in 10.
So one day of absence every two

619
00:24:25,020 --> 00:24:28,070
weeks, minimum for every two
weeks of a year.

620
00:24:28,130 --> 00:24:29,680
That's persistent absence.
Yeah.

621
00:24:29,690 --> 00:24:33,360
One in five children are missing
one day at school or more.

622
00:24:33,430 --> 00:24:35,720
Every two weeks, that is.
So much more than I thought.

623
00:24:35,730 --> 00:24:37,690
It was gonna, it's incredible
when you sit down and I bet if

624
00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:40,570
you look back at registers and
stuff, hmm, you actually sit and

625
00:24:40,580 --> 00:24:43,170
work out, you're like, yeah,
that, you know, one day out of

626
00:24:43,180 --> 00:24:44,430
two.
Weeks make sense because we like

627
00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:46,400
we're in a culture now.
I start where we celebrate when

628
00:24:46,410 --> 00:24:48,220
everyone's in.
I know is like, hey, everyone's

629
00:24:48,230 --> 00:24:49,710
in today because it's so rarely
happens.

630
00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,270
Yeah.
So on any given day, you'll have

631
00:24:52,340 --> 00:24:55,200
two or three people off, I must
say, very quickly before we

632
00:24:55,210 --> 00:24:57,590
carry on.
I've noticed this because just

633
00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,310
in my school where we the bell
goes at 8:40 in the morning and

634
00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,960
then mass will start at 8:50.
It kind of gives a 10 minute

635
00:25:04,050 --> 00:25:06,780
price period.
So what I'm about to say isn't

636
00:25:06,790 --> 00:25:09,150
the amount of children who are
in maths starts, but it's an

637
00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,910
indication of the kind of, you
know, what we might see in

638
00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,230
schools where when the bell goes
at 8:40.

639
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,310
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I've started to track how many

640
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:17,650
children are lining up ready to
come in.

641
00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,200
OK.
I had last week and my three

642
00:25:20,210 --> 00:25:23,110
days in out of how many out of
3110?

643
00:25:23,300 --> 00:25:27,620
Eleven and 12 ready to come,
ready to come in 840 and we

644
00:25:27,630 --> 00:25:30,690
want, you know, it's open 840
come in, the gates open at half,

645
00:25:30,700 --> 00:25:33,550
eight for the playground.
So eight 40s when we walk in,

646
00:25:33,700 --> 00:25:38,310
match starts 58840.
I had 10/11/12, yeah.

647
00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,700
This week on Monday I walked in
there were five people in my

648
00:25:42,710 --> 00:25:45,590
line, right, 14.
So for context, same school I

649
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,790
get consistently like 2020.
Yeah, 28 kids at 8:40, Yeah.

650
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:51,530
So you know we're not yours are
just not.

651
00:25:51,540 --> 00:25:53,340
It's not.
Obviously it's not something

652
00:25:53,350 --> 00:25:55,050
that every single person
experiencing the same.

653
00:25:55,060 --> 00:25:56,580
No, but that, but you are
experiencing.

654
00:25:56,590 --> 00:25:59,130
That, but that's you know, and
and again by the time mass comes

655
00:25:59,140 --> 00:26:00,950
around people, they stream.
Yeah.

656
00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:02,890
Do you find that you get a lot
of streaming in the next 10

657
00:26:02,900 --> 00:26:04,330
minutes?
After I got streaming in, but

658
00:26:04,340 --> 00:26:05,910
still then I send on the
register.

659
00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,440
It's very, very common for me to
have at least six children in

660
00:26:08,450 --> 00:26:09,120
this.
Building Wow.

661
00:26:09,130 --> 00:26:10,850
And then they have to check.
And then by the afternoon I'll

662
00:26:10,860 --> 00:26:12,510
have one or two on the building,
so you know.

663
00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:14,630
These are coming.
They do come in, yeah.

664
00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,930
So again, talk about
persistently absent and then

665
00:26:17,940 --> 00:26:21,370
severely absent even more so if
you think one in 10 days is

666
00:26:21,380 --> 00:26:23,030
enough.
That's doubled the amount of

667
00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:25,690
children who are severely absent
from 1% to almost 2%.

668
00:26:25,700 --> 00:26:29,250
So it's a, it's a picture which
is very clear to see.

669
00:26:29,260 --> 00:26:32,890
And if you strip it back,
absence was going down steadily

670
00:26:32,900 --> 00:26:35,900
from 2010.
It was something that, although

671
00:26:35,910 --> 00:26:39,420
not lots of being ploughed into
it, there was clearly still a

672
00:26:39,430 --> 00:26:42,380
bond between the family, the
government and school where we

673
00:26:42,390 --> 00:26:43,780
understood the importance of
getting in.

674
00:26:43,830 --> 00:26:47,430
COVID completely diminished that
completely.

675
00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,180
Yeah, must have done.
Because I think the culture has

676
00:26:49,190 --> 00:26:50,320
changed, isn't it?
I can feel it.

677
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:54,160
The culture you did used to be
it was almost you almost shunned

678
00:26:54,330 --> 00:26:56,100
if if you were, if you were
bringing your kid in late.

679
00:26:56,110 --> 00:26:58,080
It was almost like, it's
embarrassing, isn't it?

680
00:26:58,090 --> 00:26:59,600
It really wasn't.
It was an embarrassing feeling.

681
00:26:59,610 --> 00:27:02,310
It wasn't as common.
Oh God, my God.

682
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,250
We woke up late.
I'm embarrassed, you know.

683
00:27:04,260 --> 00:27:06,860
But now it's kind of like we
woke up late again for the

684
00:27:06,870 --> 00:27:08,920
seventh time this term.
Go on then.

685
00:27:08,930 --> 00:27:10,810
You better head to school.
It's almost 915.

686
00:27:10,820 --> 00:27:12,430
Go on, it'll be alright.
You'll be alright.

687
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:13,710
Just tell me you're late.
It's fine.

688
00:27:13,810 --> 00:27:17,010
I do feel like that is how it's.
I don't know, but there's lots

689
00:27:17,020 --> 00:27:18,290
of reasons which we'll get into
today.

690
00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:20,110
So yeah, And I think it's
important when we have these

691
00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:22,530
chats, we're always the first
people to say, well, there's and

692
00:27:22,540 --> 00:27:24,630
there's a reason for everything.
So those people who say with

693
00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:27,110
behaviour, well have you tried
building a relationship with

694
00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:30,000
them?
And it's like, OK, look, we know

695
00:27:30,010 --> 00:27:31,940
and we're going to talk about
it, so please don't get your

696
00:27:31,950 --> 00:27:34,340
knickers in A twist, OK.
If you're listening to this and

697
00:27:34,350 --> 00:27:36,670
thinking, Oh no, they're they're
not thinking.

698
00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,490
Yes, we know.
We're going to talk about all

699
00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:40,290
the reasons why.
Everything, Right?

700
00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:46,350
But there are also some people
who just need to get their kids

701
00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:48,530
in school.
Yeah, they just need to do it.

702
00:27:48,590 --> 00:27:50,270
OK.
It's it's about having a bit of

703
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,370
discipline, a bit less laziness,
and that would help.

704
00:27:53,460 --> 00:27:55,360
However, does that explain the
trend?

705
00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:57,870
Obviously not, because the trend
wouldn't just those people

706
00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,510
always exist.
Exactly.

707
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,350
Exactly.
So there's no point getting all

708
00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:03,330
worked up and worried about all
the judges.

709
00:28:03,340 --> 00:28:04,930
So lazy.
Get them into school.

710
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,830
No, something else has happened
here and I'd love to dive into

711
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:08,590
it.
Yeah.

712
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,960
So before we do very quickly,
there's obviously home

713
00:28:10,970 --> 00:28:12,180
schooling.
Yeah.

714
00:28:12,290 --> 00:28:15,330
That is another thing where that
it's not very formalised.

715
00:28:15,340 --> 00:28:17,690
There's not like an official
formal education.

716
00:28:17,730 --> 00:28:20,000
Not for people who aren't
receiving a formal education.

717
00:28:20,050 --> 00:28:22,200
There's not an official like
government register to kind of.

718
00:28:22,210 --> 00:28:24,390
Yeah, just track and make sure
those children are still getting

719
00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:25,160
the education.
They.

720
00:28:25,250 --> 00:28:27,320
Of course, homeschooling works
for a lot of people.

721
00:28:27,370 --> 00:28:29,120
Yeah.
I'm not against home schooling,

722
00:28:29,130 --> 00:28:33,070
but I do think that it's it's
kind of it's OK to say ohh these

723
00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:34,000
children getting the.
Right.

724
00:28:34,010 --> 00:28:35,080
Kind of.
It's it's a system.

725
00:28:35,090 --> 00:28:37,600
It's simple as this, isn't it?
Homeschooling objectively is not

726
00:28:37,610 --> 00:28:40,700
a bad thing, but it is a system
that could much, much more

727
00:28:40,710 --> 00:28:43,540
easily be abused than the school
system because there there is

728
00:28:43,550 --> 00:28:45,920
just a lack of register and a
lack of, you know, government

729
00:28:45,930 --> 00:28:48,410
wide systems to monitor.
These children are getting, you

730
00:28:48,420 --> 00:28:50,580
know, a proper education for the
correct amount of time or

731
00:28:50,590 --> 00:28:52,500
whatever.
So yeah, it is a system that can

732
00:28:52,510 --> 00:28:55,800
be abused, abused and I do think
there should be some further

733
00:28:55,810 --> 00:28:58,090
monitoring.
Now more than ever, they have to

734
00:28:58,100 --> 00:28:59,960
make sure these children are
receiving an education.

735
00:29:00,030 --> 00:29:01,790
Definitely.
Let's have a quick Jingle and

736
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,770
then we'll come in and we'll
talk about what?

737
00:29:03,910 --> 00:29:06,060
I like the phrase.
We've turned to use this phrase.

738
00:29:06,070 --> 00:29:08,180
Let's have a quick Jingle like,
let's have a quick break so we

739
00:29:08,190 --> 00:29:10,720
can get our thoughts together.
We're going to come back.

740
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:12,490
You've heard all the stats.
Now we're going to dive a bit

741
00:29:12,500 --> 00:29:14,630
deeper.
What's causing these absences

742
00:29:14,740 --> 00:29:17,300
and what can be done about?
It And is Dylan going to go on

743
00:29:17,310 --> 00:29:21,440
holiday with his child when he's
at school in time in term time?

744
00:29:21,450 --> 00:29:26,350
Big question, right.
So we're back, Dylan.

745
00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,790
Before we get into the juicy
stuff, I do want to ask you a

746
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,790
personal question because we've
got, we've both got kids now, if

747
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,790
you didn't know already.
Size 36.

748
00:29:34,220 --> 00:29:36,970
Oh, no, not yet.
Not the diet.

749
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:38,760
Diet.
But we're not getting because we

750
00:29:38,770 --> 00:29:41,660
talk about next week, right?
So holidays is obviously a

751
00:29:41,670 --> 00:29:42,400
thing.
That's the thing.

752
00:29:42,410 --> 00:29:44,710
We're not gonna talk really much
about holidays in this episode,

753
00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:46,530
but let's just do a quick
conversation now.

754
00:29:46,580 --> 00:29:49,080
So.
You mean holidays, not school

755
00:29:49,090 --> 00:29:51,660
holidays.
You mean I'm talking classic

756
00:29:51,710 --> 00:29:53,380
type?
Type of absence is kids being

757
00:29:53,390 --> 00:29:54,550
away on holiday during term
time.

758
00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:55,960
Right.
And every teacher is like, God

759
00:29:55,970 --> 00:29:58,370
damn it, because you know you
want to get some stuff done.

760
00:29:58,430 --> 00:30:00,060
Ohh, really?
Yeah, that's OK.

761
00:30:00,070 --> 00:30:02,200
My question is, will you be
would you.

762
00:30:02,510 --> 00:30:05,370
We have an extra week with the
way our school works out, where

763
00:30:05,380 --> 00:30:08,480
we are off for a week where most
schools are still in in term

764
00:30:08,490 --> 00:30:11,440
time, holidays are cheaper.
We're going on holiday this year

765
00:30:11,450 --> 00:30:15,300
in that week together.
Would you take Rory out of

766
00:30:15,310 --> 00:30:17,490
school in that week to go on a
cheaper holiday considering they

767
00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:18,850
are about 1/3 of the price?
Yes.

768
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,430
Yeah yeah I again I this is my
hope make it really clear to

769
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,410
people listening that were not
these draconian every second of

770
00:30:26,420 --> 00:30:28,970
school you must be in there and
the government says so and the

771
00:30:28,980 --> 00:30:32,130
the government say so you must
do if your child no we hate the

772
00:30:32,140 --> 00:30:33,850
government like don't don't
worry about that.

773
00:30:34,340 --> 00:30:38,160
But my point is I have never
ever been off the impression

774
00:30:38,170 --> 00:30:40,570
that it annoyed me when children
went on holiday.

775
00:30:40,580 --> 00:30:44,550
Yeah in term time firstly it's a
capitalist absolute nightmare.

776
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:48,810
Hate capitalism anyway but the
disgusting price rises and hikes

777
00:30:48,820 --> 00:30:50,820
during the half.
As long as that's a thing.

778
00:30:50,830 --> 00:30:53,650
I will never begrudge anyone
going on holiday without OK do

779
00:30:53,660 --> 00:30:57,080
you want to do an 80 LB fine and
a ��500 holiday or do you wanna

780
00:30:57,090 --> 00:31:00,330
do a 1500 LB holiday?
Hmm, I'll take the 80 LB fine I

781
00:31:00,340 --> 00:31:00,940
think.
Yeah.

782
00:31:00,950 --> 00:31:05,040
And and if children are being in
school consistently and it's a

783
00:31:05,050 --> 00:31:07,530
pre planned holiday when you
know you'll be off for a week

784
00:31:07,540 --> 00:31:10,000
and you can easily find out what
the children are doing or you

785
00:31:10,010 --> 00:31:12,690
know what not and just enjoy
your holiday and then come back

786
00:31:12,700 --> 00:31:15,090
and be absolutely fine.
I've never had a problem with

787
00:31:15,100 --> 00:31:16,680
just let the teacher stress
about catching them.

788
00:31:16,830 --> 00:31:18,620
Well I'm a teacher.
I do it enough for other

789
00:31:18,630 --> 00:31:19,900
children.
They can do it for my children.

790
00:31:20,180 --> 00:31:22,710
Ohh I see no no.
But my point is I I've never

791
00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,870
ever as a teacher felt like it's
been so so detrimental.

792
00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,930
When a child's had like a lovely
holiday with their parents were

793
00:31:29,940 --> 00:31:32,090
a bit and they come back.
It's not something.

794
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:34,390
Ohh the office.
I think my child was on holiday.

795
00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:34,850
I don't.
Care.

796
00:31:34,860 --> 00:31:36,670
OK, like the like the owls
question.

797
00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:39,650
How many hot term time holidays
until it starts annoying you

798
00:31:39,660 --> 00:31:40,740
think actually this is?
Irresponsible.

799
00:31:40,750 --> 00:31:43,810
I think 1A year is acceptable.
I think 2A year I'd be like, all

800
00:31:43,820 --> 00:31:45,990
right, come on, you've had your
cheap holiday you don't need.

801
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:47,460
No one needs two holidays a
year.

802
00:31:47,470 --> 00:31:49,390
Yeah.
Lady.

803
00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,360
Yeah, no, I think, I think if
you're going on holiday you're

804
00:31:52,370 --> 00:31:54,510
you're gonna do it in time, time
cause it's a third of the price.

805
00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:56,290
Yeah.
So if you can as an adult take

806
00:31:56,300 --> 00:31:57,930
your child like 3 then for a
week.

807
00:31:58,060 --> 00:32:00,350
Take three in term time across
the same as the one holiday you

808
00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:01,080
could have done.
Not time.

809
00:32:01,090 --> 00:32:03,640
Yeah, you could do, you could do
or used 1000 lbs that you've

810
00:32:03,650 --> 00:32:06,010
saved to, you know, do something
else.

811
00:32:06,020 --> 00:32:08,770
I don't know.
Yeah, but my point is, you know,

812
00:32:08,820 --> 00:32:11,730
I'm happy for that as long as
it's in reasonable, which to me

813
00:32:11,740 --> 00:32:14,030
is one of the one of you.
You've gone away for a week.

814
00:32:14,780 --> 00:32:16,700
I spoke to a secondary school
teacher, funny enough recently

815
00:32:16,710 --> 00:32:18,850
about this, just a friend.
And they were like, they had a

816
00:32:18,860 --> 00:32:21,110
slightly different opinion.
Yeah, because there's so many

817
00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,280
more like pivotal points like
GCSE's and stuff like.

818
00:32:23,490 --> 00:32:24,860
That.
Is really frustrating though

819
00:32:24,870 --> 00:32:26,810
when it's like a month.
Before GS, Well, we've had

820
00:32:26,820 --> 00:32:28,260
children going on.
They're doing Sats.

821
00:32:28,270 --> 00:32:29,810
Yeah, all the week before or.
Whatever.

822
00:32:29,820 --> 00:32:31,900
Is it more frustrating for the
children or is it more

823
00:32:31,910 --> 00:32:33,780
frustrating for the school?
For the school, it's not

824
00:32:33,790 --> 00:32:35,930
frustrating for children.
If anything, it's even better

825
00:32:35,940 --> 00:32:37,740
for the children now to do the
stupid Sats.

826
00:32:37,750 --> 00:32:41,030
So who who actually cares?
Yeah, does it actually?

827
00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:43,050
Matter if that's why I try not
to.

828
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,640
Any Any time Mike has gone on
holiday when they come back and

829
00:32:45,650 --> 00:32:47,990
their parents have told them to
pretend they weren't or

830
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,140
something and they're tanned and
they're like, ohh, I'm like yeah

831
00:32:51,150 --> 00:32:52,210
you have a nice did you have a
nice.

832
00:32:52,220 --> 00:32:54,750
Holiday I'm just like it's just.
Cut this I'm not going to get

833
00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:55,900
across that you've been.
It's not your.

834
00:32:55,910 --> 00:32:58,440
Fault on a holiday?
But did you know you then?

835
00:32:58,670 --> 00:33:00,980
Not really.
It genuinely would, only it has

836
00:33:00,990 --> 00:33:03,180
annoyed me a couple of times in
the past because I've had

837
00:33:03,190 --> 00:33:06,570
children who have genuinely gone
on like three or four and the

838
00:33:06,580 --> 00:33:09,980
only thing that does annoy me is
is a very rarely seen this, but

839
00:33:09,990 --> 00:33:11,370
any entitlement that comes with
it.

840
00:33:11,470 --> 00:33:13,390
If you take your child out of
holiday, you've got, you've got

841
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,040
to deal the repercussions of the
missing education.

842
00:33:15,170 --> 00:33:17,720
I've had parents come in and say
we're going on holiday.

843
00:33:18,010 --> 00:33:20,780
I need you to prepare, you know,
a booklet of the mouse book.

844
00:33:20,790 --> 00:33:22,530
They've worked for English so we
can do all of the stuff.

845
00:33:22,540 --> 00:33:23,850
I don't want to miss out on
anything.

846
00:33:23,860 --> 00:33:25,560
If you.
Do not want to miss out, yeah.

847
00:33:25,570 --> 00:33:27,110
Yeah.
And and I and I've genuinely

848
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,990
anytime that's ever happened
I've just gone no yeah I said

849
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,130
Nope because you you've chosen
to take them out of time.

850
00:33:32,140 --> 00:33:33,900
It's genuinely not my.
And when they come back, you're

851
00:33:33,910 --> 00:33:35,570
going to spend some time
catching them, of course, of

852
00:33:35,580 --> 00:33:37,760
course, inadvertently will, but
that's the only that's the.

853
00:33:37,770 --> 00:33:40,170
Only adding to my workload
because you want to go on

854
00:33:40,180 --> 00:33:42,810
holiday in town.
Yeah, but you know what if if a

855
00:33:42,820 --> 00:33:45,870
low income family who maybe
wouldn't get to go on holiday

856
00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,910
that year if their only choices
are we don't go on holiday or we

857
00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,820
go in this one time, in this one
in term time.

858
00:33:51,830 --> 00:33:53,400
Would I be annoyed?
Not at all.

859
00:33:53,410 --> 00:33:56,000
I'd be, I'd be like Richmond,
I'd almost on the side.

860
00:33:56,010 --> 00:33:57,480
But please do go on that
holiday.

861
00:33:57,490 --> 00:33:59,100
I'll I'll help catch your kid
up.

862
00:33:59,470 --> 00:34:01,600
Can you imagine right set
turning around and saying to a

863
00:34:01,610 --> 00:34:04,360
child and a family, you can't
have that enrichment at all?

864
00:34:04,490 --> 00:34:06,530
By the way, all enrichment's
been cut and we don't do

865
00:34:06,540 --> 00:34:07,470
anything in school.
That's fine.

866
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,219
Anymore.
Anyway, enough about holidays.

867
00:34:10,230 --> 00:34:13,179
So basically I just want to get
across that, yeah, it's like you

868
00:34:13,190 --> 00:34:15,060
said, we're not draconian.
I I think absence.

869
00:34:15,070 --> 00:34:18,380
Look, if we can deal with some
absence, some absence is fine.

870
00:34:18,389 --> 00:34:19,960
And a little a holiday every now
and then.

871
00:34:19,969 --> 00:34:22,340
Whatever, it's cheaper.
And if you're ill, you're ill,

872
00:34:22,389 --> 00:34:24,850
yeah.
You're ill will be fine, but

873
00:34:24,860 --> 00:34:27,639
we're talking about a massive
rise in overall absence and

874
00:34:27,650 --> 00:34:30,139
where that's come from, and
actually it is to have an impact

875
00:34:30,250 --> 00:34:32,040
in general.
And you know why?

876
00:34:32,050 --> 00:34:33,260
Why is it happening?
So, Dylan.

877
00:34:33,350 --> 00:34:36,940
Yeah, the top, the top reason
children are off is illness.

878
00:34:37,010 --> 00:34:38,920
It was illness before.
It's illness now.

879
00:34:38,989 --> 00:34:42,500
However, what's really
interesting about this is the

880
00:34:42,550 --> 00:34:45,440
amount of children who are off
ill has massively increased its

881
00:34:45,449 --> 00:34:47,350
COVID.
So again, it's tracked with a

882
00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,260
doubling pretty much.
OK, so our children twice as

883
00:34:50,270 --> 00:34:51,520
well as they were before.
A bit.

884
00:34:51,590 --> 00:34:53,850
No, I don't think that they are.
Maybe.

885
00:34:53,860 --> 00:34:55,920
Obviously there's COVID now, so
there might be a bit more

886
00:34:55,929 --> 00:34:57,960
illness going round.
Yeah, but we've always had flu

887
00:34:57,970 --> 00:34:59,340
seasons, we've always had cold
seasons.

888
00:34:59,350 --> 00:35:01,600
We've had children, tonsillitis,
children off for different

889
00:35:01,610 --> 00:35:04,140
reasons, poorly tummies, body
headaches, whatever it is.

890
00:35:04,750 --> 00:35:06,480
We've always had illness and
we've still got it.

891
00:35:06,490 --> 00:35:10,570
But why is there more authorised
illness right now than there was

892
00:35:10,580 --> 00:35:13,540
before COVID?
Clearly COVID had an impact.

893
00:35:13,590 --> 00:35:17,610
So the threshold for what we
would say as parents for keeping

894
00:35:17,620 --> 00:35:20,420
children home, that threshold
has lowered massively.

895
00:35:20,430 --> 00:35:20,870
I.
Think so.

896
00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:22,480
What do we do?
What do we do about it?

897
00:35:22,490 --> 00:35:23,290
I.
Think Can we do?

898
00:35:23,350 --> 00:35:26,850
The committee said this, and I
think it's excellent advice and

899
00:35:26,860 --> 00:35:28,080
there's going to be a running
theme here.

900
00:35:28,090 --> 00:35:30,170
Hayden, very much like last
week, we talked about the

901
00:35:30,180 --> 00:35:32,380
workload reduction.
There's lots of fantastic ideas.

902
00:35:32,450 --> 00:35:35,360
Yeah, nothing will happen.
I say what?

903
00:35:35,410 --> 00:35:37,100
Nothing will work.
Don't say it.

904
00:35:37,110 --> 00:35:39,180
Go on, don't say it.
What do you think?

905
00:35:39,190 --> 00:35:41,520
Yeah, listen to the first point.
Maybe listen to the first

906
00:35:41,530 --> 00:35:43,010
couple.
Then we'll say why now?

907
00:35:43,020 --> 00:35:44,540
This will happen.
The one thing that's going to

908
00:35:44,550 --> 00:35:47,550
stop this everything from.
Happening after 13 years of a

909
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:52,490
Tory government what could it be
so obviously moved big thing the

910
00:35:52,500 --> 00:35:56,850
committee have have said needs
to happen is really targeted

911
00:35:57,240 --> 00:36:01,650
like kind of investment almost
and and this idea of we need

912
00:36:01,700 --> 00:36:07,130
parents to know exactly through
guidance when to and when not to

913
00:36:07,140 --> 00:36:09,790
send your child to school.
What is it that might be

914
00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,990
contagious and therefore be a
bit of a a vector in school and

915
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:14,620
spread illness and more children
are off.

916
00:36:14,630 --> 00:36:17,300
Therefore you keep your one
child at home, or when it's

917
00:36:17,310 --> 00:36:19,450
actually OK, you've got a bit of
a poorly tummy.

918
00:36:19,460 --> 00:36:21,320
Let's see how you get on.
Crack on going to I think

919
00:36:21,330 --> 00:36:23,850
they'll be really effective.
I genuinely think that you know,

920
00:36:23,860 --> 00:36:25,740
something as simple as that
would be really effective.

921
00:36:25,750 --> 00:36:28,590
A little poster that goes home
to every kid, it goes put up

922
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:30,680
around schools and maybe there's
a couple of adverts on it, you

923
00:36:30,690 --> 00:36:32,760
know, like they did during COVID
with the guidance.

924
00:36:32,770 --> 00:36:34,140
Most people did follow the
guidance.

925
00:36:34,150 --> 00:36:36,270
Obviously you get people that
don't and the loudest people,

926
00:36:36,310 --> 00:36:38,820
but the majority of people do
follow it and actually listen to

927
00:36:38,830 --> 00:36:40,230
it.
And it's subconsciously, even if

928
00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:42,740
they're like, oh whatever, well,
it will go in.

929
00:36:42,780 --> 00:36:44,500
This is when you should send
your kids to school.

930
00:36:44,550 --> 00:36:46,840
This is when you can think about
not sending them to school.

931
00:36:46,850 --> 00:36:48,960
It's got to meet these kind of
threshold because the threshold

932
00:36:48,970 --> 00:36:51,880
has moved.
As a teacher how confident are

933
00:36:51,890 --> 00:36:54,710
you with knowing when to send a
child them Because they're not

934
00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:57,500
how confident am.
Yeah how confident are you to

935
00:36:57,510 --> 00:36:59,610
look at a child they present to
you they say ohh I'm feeling

936
00:36:59,620 --> 00:37:01,550
this this or that you can see
their symptoms.

937
00:37:01,620 --> 00:37:05,140
As class teacher it's down to us
to say OK look carry on with

938
00:37:05,150 --> 00:37:08,210
your work we'll get to lunchtime
or OK go down to the office

939
00:37:08,220 --> 00:37:10,460
we'll ring parents.
I'm how how do you.

940
00:37:10,470 --> 00:37:12,140
Because this is the same thing.
Hard.

941
00:37:12,150 --> 00:37:14,230
This is the same thing.
I never ever want to send a

942
00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:15,720
child home.
I don't I want them to be in

943
00:37:15,730 --> 00:37:18,570
school as much as possible.
I I maybe put it off more than I

944
00:37:18,580 --> 00:37:20,610
should.
Sometimes I say OK we're in

945
00:37:20,620 --> 00:37:22,430
maths OK and that's I'm feeling
a bit poorly.

946
00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:24,180
Ohh, wait till break time.
Get some fresh air.

947
00:37:24,190 --> 00:37:26,250
Run about always they'll wait to
break time coming for English.

948
00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:27,620
Well, you know it's nearly
lunchtime now.

949
00:37:27,630 --> 00:37:30,110
So we see how we feel at lunch.
Get a bit of food down you

950
00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:31,910
lunchtime comes.
Well eat your food and go

951
00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:34,210
outside a bit of fresh air.
See afternoon or you know, it's

952
00:37:34,220 --> 00:37:35,560
the afternoon.
Now I've only got a couple of

953
00:37:35,570 --> 00:37:36,440
hours.
Should we do our hand?

954
00:37:36,450 --> 00:37:38,520
We don't wanna ring parents now
cause gonna be no, they're gonna

955
00:37:38,530 --> 00:37:40,160
pick you up.
In a kind of kick the can down

956
00:37:40,170 --> 00:37:41,930
the road, yeah, all whilst
obviously making sure the

957
00:37:41,940 --> 00:37:42,570
children.
Are feeling.

958
00:37:42,580 --> 00:37:47,380
I do that probably 99% of the
time and the kids 100% of the

959
00:37:47,390 --> 00:37:49,340
time of my whole career.
Have never not been fine.

960
00:37:49,390 --> 00:37:50,560
Yeah.
So there's the confidence.

961
00:37:50,570 --> 00:37:53,070
I guess the confidence comes
from 9 years of doing of doing

962
00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,040
that and they've never, never
once not been.

963
00:37:55,050 --> 00:37:57,110
OK.
So when would you send someone

964
00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:58,530
home?
But do do you feel like you

965
00:37:58,540 --> 00:38:00,610
would benefit as well from any
guidance?

966
00:38:00,620 --> 00:38:03,270
I definitely would because I am
still blagging it really.

967
00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:05,590
If you think I'm just maybe I'm
just lucky that actually those

968
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,580
kids are fine.
I think I've obviously, you

969
00:38:07,590 --> 00:38:09,010
know, taught thousands of
children.

970
00:38:09,020 --> 00:38:11,830
Now I am starting to recognise
signs when children are just

971
00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,160
blagging it a bit.
Maybe they're just common in

972
00:38:14,170 --> 00:38:16,070
there, what's it called?
But they're persistent,

973
00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:18,690
persistently absent children.
I'm like, OK, you're clearly not

974
00:38:18,700 --> 00:38:20,680
constantly all the time, you're
actually just OK.

975
00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:23,910
But I would, I would benefit
from some guidance because I'd

976
00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,090
like that to be a bit more of a
clear threshold because I am

977
00:38:26,100 --> 00:38:29,100
just kind of on my own.
Yeah, I'm understanding.

978
00:38:29,110 --> 00:38:31,840
But it's when normally when kids
have actually been sick.

979
00:38:31,910 --> 00:38:33,260
Yeah, and and so.
Honest.

980
00:38:33,270 --> 00:38:35,240
That's a red card.
For me is, in terms of cake,

981
00:38:35,250 --> 00:38:37,740
vomited straight home to me,
straight home.

982
00:38:38,230 --> 00:38:41,520
When children have any kind of
diagnosis or any sort of medical

983
00:38:41,530 --> 00:38:44,550
history that I know about where
it's flaring up, it's flaring up

984
00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:46,800
and I'm like, OK, this actually
is a condition.

985
00:38:48,460 --> 00:38:52,260
What typically if it's a child
who has really good absence

986
00:38:52,770 --> 00:38:54,180
that?
Would be for dependence.

987
00:38:54,190 --> 00:38:55,400
Really good attendance.
Sorry.

988
00:38:55,410 --> 00:38:57,530
They got really, really like
really good attendance.

989
00:38:57,540 --> 00:39:00,730
Those kids that are in, when
they've got a sniffly cold, if

990
00:39:00,740 --> 00:39:03,290
they they have a bit more
credit, I think, well, I think

991
00:39:03,300 --> 00:39:05,700
that's just how life works.
You know when when I know their

992
00:39:05,710 --> 00:39:07,660
parents send them in, even when
I'm thinking they are quite

993
00:39:07,670 --> 00:39:11,080
poorly, if they are really
complaining about being feeling

994
00:39:11,090 --> 00:39:13,800
really ill and I've done the
whole, I've banned it off till

995
00:39:13,810 --> 00:39:15,710
break time over and there's
still like I've really feel

996
00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:17,460
good.
I do generally consider bringing

997
00:39:17,470 --> 00:39:20,670
home and but I don't even then
don't say they need to come

998
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:21,710
home.
It's sort of like, oh, this is

999
00:39:21,720 --> 00:39:22,650
the situation.
What?

1000
00:39:22,660 --> 00:39:23,710
What do you think?
Parents.

1001
00:39:23,720 --> 00:39:25,770
Sure, because they might go.
No, they're putting it on this

1002
00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:30,000
morning because they wanted to
watch the new Pok��mon. 1998.

1003
00:39:30,170 --> 00:39:33,260
They wanted to watch that No
poking Man.

1004
00:39:34,050 --> 00:39:38,150
The Milky Bar kids on TV said
no, that's something 1950s.

1005
00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:40,000
Yeah, I guess.
I guess that's right.

1006
00:39:40,010 --> 00:39:42,470
But my point is that's not
something I'm really, really

1007
00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:43,960
confident.
And it's a theme we're gonna

1008
00:39:43,970 --> 00:39:47,970
come on to again in terms of
provision and stuff like that in

1009
00:39:47,980 --> 00:39:51,000
terms of a teacher for sure.
I think just to summarise that

1010
00:39:51,010 --> 00:39:54,260
point, really good idea.
But a lot of that trust has been

1011
00:39:54,270 --> 00:39:57,480
broken, I think.
I don't know what we can do to

1012
00:39:57,490 --> 00:39:59,700
build those gaps with the
government again, because even

1013
00:39:59,710 --> 00:40:01,610
when the government releases
guidance, I can imagine there

1014
00:40:01,620 --> 00:40:03,810
are a whole bunch of people go
whatever, whatever.

1015
00:40:03,820 --> 00:40:06,030
You made my kid miss months of
education.

1016
00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:07,760
Yeah, So.
So nothing you say about how

1017
00:40:07,770 --> 00:40:09,430
important education is going to
resonate with me.

1018
00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:10,550
Because my kid was fine, and
they were.

1019
00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:12,130
School.
I guess if schools take about

1020
00:40:12,140 --> 00:40:14,330
proactive about it, it might
come from a different Ave.

1021
00:40:14,340 --> 00:40:17,180
You know schools used to be
really hot on and I don't see

1022
00:40:17,190 --> 00:40:18,860
this as much anymore.
This was clearly maybe an

1023
00:40:18,870 --> 00:40:20,880
initiative that came from the
government Once Upon a time.

1024
00:40:20,890 --> 00:40:23,610
The whole like the posters that
were like if you miss, if you

1025
00:40:23,620 --> 00:40:26,980
miss one day equates to this.
And the whole reading ones as

1026
00:40:26,990 --> 00:40:29,110
well, like the opposite ones,
like you read for more than 10

1027
00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:30,930
minutes a day, all these vocab
words.

1028
00:40:30,940 --> 00:40:33,520
But yeah, those those kind of
like stat posters, I reckon they

1029
00:40:33,530 --> 00:40:35,790
probably trickle down and I
think they had quite a big

1030
00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,230
impact because I still think
about them and I think you

1031
00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:39,610
could, yeah, I think it could
work.

1032
00:40:39,620 --> 00:40:41,820
Having some guidance, I reckon
that will tackle a big chunk of

1033
00:40:41,830 --> 00:40:45,460
those parents that we were
talking about earlier who really

1034
00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:48,250
they just need to get the kids.
The kids, their kids are fine.

1035
00:40:48,260 --> 00:40:51,140
Maybe they're a bit anxious now,
but health anxiety definitely,

1036
00:40:51,150 --> 00:40:53,160
and they're and they're not
sure, so they keep them home.

1037
00:40:53,170 --> 00:40:55,400
But guidance would help them.
You guys would help those kind

1038
00:40:55,410 --> 00:40:56,410
of people.
It wouldn't help.

1039
00:40:56,420 --> 00:40:59,920
We're gonna talk about now other
reasons that children are off.

1040
00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,790
We're gonna talk about SND.
So children with special

1041
00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:06,350
educational, educational needs.
Yeah.

1042
00:41:06,410 --> 00:41:10,760
And also we're going to talk
about lower, lower income

1043
00:41:10,770 --> 00:41:12,060
families.
Yeah, we'll come on to that.

1044
00:41:12,070 --> 00:41:14,270
We'll talk about the whole
deterrent of fines and stuff.

1045
00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:16,010
Yeah.
And how that guidance maybe

1046
00:41:16,020 --> 00:41:17,620
wouldn't.
Yeah, because it's not, that's

1047
00:41:17,630 --> 00:41:18,690
not the reason they're not
coming in.

1048
00:41:18,700 --> 00:41:19,790
So we get to that in a bit.
Exactly.

1049
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:21,980
I think what we talked about
there is very much on the

1050
00:41:21,990 --> 00:41:24,640
increase in children who are
actually ill and have authorised

1051
00:41:24,650 --> 00:41:26,690
illness.
There's got to be a reason why

1052
00:41:26,700 --> 00:41:28,700
that seems to have doubled.
Kids aren't twice as sick as

1053
00:41:28,710 --> 00:41:29,980
they were.
The threshold has just moved

1054
00:41:30,330 --> 00:41:31,540
back down.
Exactly right.

1055
00:41:31,580 --> 00:41:34,130
So let's move on then to what
you just said because I think

1056
00:41:34,180 --> 00:41:36,900
some of the biggest barriers
that we have to absence right

1057
00:41:36,910 --> 00:41:41,090
now a certain groups of
children, especially post COVID

1058
00:41:41,300 --> 00:41:45,500
who are way, way, way more
likely to suffer from absence

1059
00:41:45,510 --> 00:41:46,810
than any other groups of
children.

1060
00:41:46,900 --> 00:41:49,690
And this is where I think we
need to stop pointing the finger

1061
00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:52,410
at children parents and start
looking at the systems that we

1062
00:41:52,420 --> 00:41:54,290
have in place.
So this is definitely now where

1063
00:41:54,300 --> 00:41:57,790
we're going to be shifting from
any kind of blame on parents at

1064
00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,750
all or children to systemic
failures I think.

1065
00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:03,780
So a big I, I'd say the three
things going to talk about just

1066
00:42:03,790 --> 00:42:05,490
to talk about what you just said
there.

1067
00:42:05,540 --> 00:42:08,090
SND children have special
educational needs.

1068
00:42:08,470 --> 00:42:11,860
Mental health.
Yeah, since COVID is just

1069
00:42:12,630 --> 00:42:16,940
unbelievable in the worst way
possible and low income and and

1070
00:42:16,950 --> 00:42:18,900
the worst thing is when we have
things overlapping.

1071
00:42:18,950 --> 00:42:21,250
Yeah, low income SND children
who are struggling mental

1072
00:42:21,260 --> 00:42:25,190
health, it's like OK, you you're
in a situation where lower,

1073
00:42:25,330 --> 00:42:28,140
lower, lower tendencies, you
know, very understandable.

1074
00:42:28,230 --> 00:42:30,860
So let's start off with these
barriers that we have.

1075
00:42:31,210 --> 00:42:34,210
So with special educational
needs, this is a big thing.

1076
00:42:34,220 --> 00:42:35,520
We talked about wanting to do
something.

1077
00:42:35,530 --> 00:42:36,900
Absence on stories and
Instagram.

1078
00:42:36,910 --> 00:42:39,460
This week you can follow us at
Tech Sleep Podcast.

1079
00:42:39,510 --> 00:42:40,800
It's where it's all happening
guys.

1080
00:42:40,810 --> 00:42:41,900
We've got loads of new
followers.

1081
00:42:41,910 --> 00:42:44,760
Hello everyone of you sing in
your brand new but on Instagram

1082
00:42:44,770 --> 00:42:46,410
we got some messages got message
again from Kizzy.

1083
00:42:46,420 --> 00:42:48,750
One of the person I talked about
how sent us an e-mail remember.

1084
00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:51,670
Yeah and and yeah we've we've
SND.

1085
00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:54,460
She said look guys when you do
this she's really looking

1086
00:42:54,470 --> 00:42:56,010
forward to it.
When you do this you've got to

1087
00:42:56,020 --> 00:43:00,090
talk about how we are failing
our SND children essentially and

1088
00:43:00,100 --> 00:43:06,160
we truly are SND children.
As class teachers we now are the

1089
00:43:06,170 --> 00:43:09,910
central focal point for
providing these children with

1090
00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:11,230
all the provision that they
need.

1091
00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:14,740
We're the people who write there
and their IP, their health

1092
00:43:14,750 --> 00:43:17,150
plans, yeah, Where the people
who write their targets, where

1093
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:19,870
the people who will, you know,
track how we're going to meet

1094
00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:22,210
those targets and what we need
to put in place, whether it's

1095
00:43:22,220 --> 00:43:23,960
assistance, whether it's us,
whether it's time.

1096
00:43:23,970 --> 00:43:26,020
Before also have to action it
because we are their.

1097
00:43:26,030 --> 00:43:27,320
Teachers, We're with them every
day.

1098
00:43:27,330 --> 00:43:28,540
And you know what?
That's that's.

1099
00:43:28,670 --> 00:43:30,980
No, I don't think anyone
requires that being part of

1100
00:43:30,990 --> 00:43:33,280
their job.
The worst thing in the world

1101
00:43:33,290 --> 00:43:35,720
that's happening with our send
children is now we are

1102
00:43:35,730 --> 00:43:38,280
systemically failing them
because of such a lack of

1103
00:43:38,290 --> 00:43:41,010
training.
Since this came in, this idea

1104
00:43:41,020 --> 00:43:46,130
that the class teacher is the
lynchpin to end provision, how

1105
00:43:46,140 --> 00:43:50,900
much training have we received?
As a nation funded training.

1106
00:43:50,910 --> 00:43:51,980
Nothing.
Nothing.

1107
00:43:51,990 --> 00:43:53,780
Nothing.
It's classic government saying

1108
00:43:53,790 --> 00:43:59,240
ohh we could just make them in
charge what this huge, huge

1109
00:43:59,250 --> 00:44:02,480
where these children are our
most needy children in the

1110
00:44:02,490 --> 00:44:05,480
country in our classroom, who of
course we put everything in for

1111
00:44:05,490 --> 00:44:08,140
them we possibly can do and
they're the the bulk of our

1112
00:44:08,150 --> 00:44:09,800
attention anyway because they
have to be.

1113
00:44:09,850 --> 00:44:11,700
Yeah.
Suddenly we are now the people

1114
00:44:11,710 --> 00:44:14,040
in charge of all of that with no
formal training.

1115
00:44:14,110 --> 00:44:16,910
Yeah.
If there are SND children who

1116
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:19,570
are struggling to get into
school because their needs are

1117
00:44:19,580 --> 00:44:22,220
not being met in school and
mainstream school, which is what

1118
00:44:22,230 --> 00:44:24,350
we want them to be, and we'll
come on to that in a second

1119
00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:26,600
there.
There's nothing we can't

1120
00:44:26,610 --> 00:44:29,760
magically make them get in.
I can't magically be the person

1121
00:44:29,850 --> 00:44:31,760
to get that child in on into
school.

1122
00:44:31,810 --> 00:44:35,260
Yeah, it's not going to happen
until we have systemic and

1123
00:44:35,270 --> 00:44:37,720
you're gonna know what it is now
in terms of what we need to have

1124
00:44:37,730 --> 00:44:40,830
to solve this problem.
Money needs money.

1125
00:44:40,870 --> 00:44:44,300
It's it's not a joke anymore.
This is look at the numbers.

1126
00:44:44,310 --> 00:44:47,880
So some stats SND have
significantly higher rates of

1127
00:44:47,890 --> 00:44:50,930
absence than everyone else.
A big part of that are

1128
00:44:50,940 --> 00:44:52,980
legitimate absences.
So it's something we need to be

1129
00:44:52,990 --> 00:44:54,150
careful of when we talk about
this.

1130
00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:57,130
Yeah, SND children are far more
likely to have appointments, to

1131
00:44:57,140 --> 00:45:00,770
have health visits that mean
their absence is higher and it's

1132
00:45:00,780 --> 00:45:03,120
authorised.
Yeah, so we need to not make.

1133
00:45:03,130 --> 00:45:05,940
Comparisons of their life that
we cannot discriminate them

1134
00:45:05,950 --> 00:45:08,780
against just because they have
like they can't help not being

1135
00:45:08,790 --> 00:45:11,290
in school for those appointments
and those anything related to

1136
00:45:11,300 --> 00:45:13,010
the to the reason they're you
know.

1137
00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:17,090
And I think one of the biggest
issues we've got with SND

1138
00:45:17,100 --> 00:45:20,160
children, and that rate of
absence is mainstream schools

1139
00:45:20,240 --> 00:45:22,600
have to be the place where we
aim to have children.

1140
00:45:22,690 --> 00:45:24,800
Hmm.
However, for that to be the

1141
00:45:24,810 --> 00:45:26,480
case, we need the correct
support.

1142
00:45:26,490 --> 00:45:28,790
Umm, we're in a real limbo at
the minute.

1143
00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:31,250
We're in a massive limbo in
education where we're failing

1144
00:45:31,260 --> 00:45:33,470
these children because we're not
providing enough support in

1145
00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:35,980
mainstream schools for them.
But we're pretending that that's

1146
00:45:35,990 --> 00:45:37,080
still the place for them right
now.

1147
00:45:37,130 --> 00:45:39,560
Yeah, it needs to be the place
for them.

1148
00:45:39,610 --> 00:45:43,060
But they there's simply not
enough funding or money in place

1149
00:45:43,110 --> 00:45:45,720
to be able to do that.
It it it we're not magic.

1150
00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:47,440
We can't magic up this.
Support.

1151
00:45:47,530 --> 00:45:51,430
It's like, it's like having a GP
who hasn't done the training

1152
00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:54,090
yet.
Well, you know, do you know what

1153
00:45:54,100 --> 00:45:56,850
I mean in terms of like if we're
sat there, if you just happen,

1154
00:45:56,920 --> 00:45:58,570
if you just happen because it's
potluck.

1155
00:45:58,660 --> 00:46:01,230
If you just happen to have four
children in your class with

1156
00:46:01,240 --> 00:46:05,510
very, very individualised
learning needs that it's crucial

1157
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:07,880
that we meet for them right as
an individual.

1158
00:46:07,890 --> 00:46:10,360
And it's so important and it and
it should be so important and

1159
00:46:10,370 --> 00:46:11,670
what I'm saying we should take
this away.

1160
00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:13,850
Absolutely.
Absolutely is our job to meet

1161
00:46:13,860 --> 00:46:17,790
those children's needs.
It's not going to happen if no

1162
00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:20,890
one has given the teacher me
whoever is in this situation any

1163
00:46:20,900 --> 00:46:24,110
training on it other than his.
Here's a report that you can

1164
00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:26,230
read about their their his
report.

1165
00:46:26,240 --> 00:46:28,040
You can read our news.
You've got to write the next

1166
00:46:28,050 --> 00:46:29,050
three.
Yeah.

1167
00:46:29,060 --> 00:46:30,130
Yeah.
And know exactly what they.

1168
00:46:30,140 --> 00:46:33,040
Sometimes I find it's like ohh
here's here's eight page report

1169
00:46:33,050 --> 00:46:35,650
like the summary of the
diagnosis child they now you

1170
00:46:35,660 --> 00:46:37,420
know what condition they have or
whatever it is.

1171
00:46:37,430 --> 00:46:40,050
Yeah, I'm like.
So I've got to write a report

1172
00:46:40,060 --> 00:46:45,730
for some of ADHD and some with
high functioning ASD and also

1173
00:46:45,740 --> 00:46:50,070
someone who's got a medical, you
know, a diabetes, you know,

1174
00:46:50,110 --> 00:46:52,120
monitor.
And we need to be sure, oh oh,

1175
00:46:52,130 --> 00:46:54,330
I've got to completely
understand all three of them and

1176
00:46:54,340 --> 00:46:56,340
put things in place and have no
extra funding or training

1177
00:46:56,350 --> 00:46:57,680
whatsoever.
All time to do so.

1178
00:46:57,690 --> 00:47:01,430
Ohh, OK And then their parents
keep them at home because maybe

1179
00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:03,610
their needs aren't being
completely met by the system.

1180
00:47:03,620 --> 00:47:05,560
Ohh, I wonder.
Yeah, should we fix that?

1181
00:47:05,570 --> 00:47:06,770
Let's just get them in, shall
we?

1182
00:47:06,810 --> 00:47:07,800
Let's just point the.
Finger.

1183
00:47:07,810 --> 00:47:10,140
Ohh Dylan, it costs money.
It costs money.

1184
00:47:10,150 --> 00:47:11,460
It costs money.
It costs money.

1185
00:47:11,510 --> 00:47:13,070
I It makes me.
Angry.

1186
00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:14,980
That means we can't.
It makes me angry though.

1187
00:47:14,990 --> 00:47:18,030
I I'm actually getting annoyed
just thinking about it, that if

1188
00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:22,740
there are children who have
special educational needs, who

1189
00:47:22,790 --> 00:47:26,900
it Hello, it's in the title.
We cannot pretend that these

1190
00:47:26,910 --> 00:47:30,730
needs can be met Willy nilly
until the government step up and

1191
00:47:30,740 --> 00:47:32,320
put funding in place in the
right places.

1192
00:47:32,330 --> 00:47:33,850
Don't just throw money at
nothing.

1193
00:47:33,960 --> 00:47:38,820
Training support.
Mm-hmm. 1 to 1 provision when

1194
00:47:38,830 --> 00:47:41,340
needed.
If the aim is going to be to

1195
00:47:41,350 --> 00:47:44,040
have them in the mainstream,
which it should be, as much as

1196
00:47:44,050 --> 00:47:45,280
it's possible.
For every child.

1197
00:47:45,290 --> 00:47:48,030
Obviously not for every child,
but for most children, the

1198
00:47:48,040 --> 00:47:49,930
number one aim should be
mainstream until then.

1199
00:47:50,490 --> 00:47:53,470
I'd be interested just before we
move on to the next point about

1200
00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:55,270
mental health.
Just sticking with that for a

1201
00:47:55,280 --> 00:47:56,360
second.
The mainstream school, that's

1202
00:47:56,370 --> 00:47:58,140
only part that triggered me when
I was reading that committee

1203
00:47:58,150 --> 00:48:00,620
report when it when it was
saying these children should be

1204
00:48:00,630 --> 00:48:04,140
in mainstream school and only be
using specialist schools as like

1205
00:48:04,150 --> 00:48:06,270
intervention almost rather than
in all the time.

1206
00:48:06,420 --> 00:48:09,710
And I was like no because I
would I'd like to know based on

1207
00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:11,710
the system.
I mean how many times is all our

1208
00:48:11,720 --> 00:48:14,670
teacher listeners out there.
Have you in the past had a child

1209
00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:16,910
in your class where you've maybe
had a conversation with that and

1210
00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:19,690
be like oh they just need to be
they shouldn't be here they

1211
00:48:19,700 --> 00:48:22,490
shouldn't be here they should be
at a specialist school and and

1212
00:48:22,500 --> 00:48:24,160
that really if you really break
that down.

1213
00:48:24,170 --> 00:48:26,570
I've done that many, many, many
times over my career.

1214
00:48:26,700 --> 00:48:28,390
That shouldn't be the
conversation we're having.

1215
00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:31,310
The conversation should that we
should be having is cool.

1216
00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:33,590
So what can we access now?
This I've, I've entered,

1217
00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:36,380
identified that this kid is not
coping well just in the

1218
00:48:36,390 --> 00:48:38,360
mainstream setting with no
extreme intervention.

1219
00:48:38,370 --> 00:48:40,620
What what have we got in place?
What can we do?

1220
00:48:40,630 --> 00:48:42,600
What funding have we got?
What training and resources have

1221
00:48:42,610 --> 00:48:45,900
we got to help them.
If we had a good government we

1222
00:48:45,910 --> 00:48:48,190
would be able to have that
dialogue and it wouldn't result

1223
00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:51,950
in us being like, I feel like
I'm failing this child because

1224
00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:55,630
I've got nothing that I can do
in my resources or my time or

1225
00:48:55,640 --> 00:48:56,840
train.
There's nothing's been put in

1226
00:48:56,850 --> 00:48:59,400
place for this kid.
That's the problem.

1227
00:48:59,470 --> 00:49:01,410
It's really changed my mind on
it because I was a bit triggered

1228
00:49:01,420 --> 00:49:04,010
at first about that and now I'm
like, no, it's just the system's

1229
00:49:04,020 --> 00:49:04,720
broken.
It's not.

1230
00:49:04,730 --> 00:49:06,940
It's not.
It's not me I I should be

1231
00:49:06,950 --> 00:49:08,750
getting the training, I should
be getting the resources.

1232
00:49:08,760 --> 00:49:11,540
I can help that kid happily and
not feel like I'm letting them

1233
00:49:11,550 --> 00:49:13,340
down.
It's teacher guilt is the worst

1234
00:49:13,350 --> 00:49:14,620
thing in the world.
Yeah, it's the worst thing in

1235
00:49:14,630 --> 00:49:16,850
the world.
Because as soon as those 30 odd

1236
00:49:16,860 --> 00:49:19,890
kids walk through your door,
they're your children for three

1237
00:49:19,900 --> 00:49:23,350
years, and no matter what their
needs are, you want to meet

1238
00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:24,770
every single of those child
needs.

1239
00:49:24,820 --> 00:49:28,310
It might be that one child has a
need of simply having a chat

1240
00:49:28,320 --> 00:49:30,670
with them every now and then,
and then not on an SD register,

1241
00:49:30,680 --> 00:49:32,430
but you individually learn their
needs.

1242
00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:35,610
Because good teachers do that.
There's another child who needs

1243
00:49:35,620 --> 00:49:38,560
1 to 1 support every single day.
I'd feel you don't have that

1244
00:49:38,570 --> 00:49:40,040
either.
So stressed.

1245
00:49:40,210 --> 00:49:43,360
If I just happened to have a
class in the future where where

1246
00:49:43,370 --> 00:49:45,500
it was like, OK, you got five
children in your class with

1247
00:49:45,510 --> 00:49:49,130
individual healthcare plans, I'd
be like, I'd feel really, really

1248
00:49:49,140 --> 00:49:50,800
stressed and I'd almost I'd
panic about.

1249
00:49:50,810 --> 00:49:52,570
I don't want to do it.
Because also you've got a child

1250
00:49:52,580 --> 00:49:54,590
who's got English as initial
language, by the way.

1251
00:49:54,600 --> 00:49:56,740
Yeah, class as well.
And also you've got a class

1252
00:49:56,750 --> 00:49:59,090
where there's just consistent
absences and just because.

1253
00:49:59,100 --> 00:50:01,400
They could be really easy to for
someone to turn around to me and

1254
00:50:01,410 --> 00:50:03,370
be like, ohh, you just wanna
help, you don't help those kids.

1255
00:50:03,380 --> 00:50:04,520
Yeah.
It's like, no, no, that's not

1256
00:50:04,530 --> 00:50:06,400
what would make me stress.
I'd be stressed because I know I

1257
00:50:06,410 --> 00:50:08,640
won't get any support and I've
just got to do it off my own

1258
00:50:08,650 --> 00:50:10,980
back and I'm somehow and I might
not do it very well because I

1259
00:50:10,990 --> 00:50:13,320
don't know.
I need the training when, when

1260
00:50:13,330 --> 00:50:15,780
their needs aren't met, the
finger points to you.

1261
00:50:15,830 --> 00:50:17,860
Yeah, Not the system that's
broken.

1262
00:50:17,950 --> 00:50:19,510
No, no, no.
Because we made the teacher that

1263
00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:20,310
you're in charge.
Yeah.

1264
00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:21,630
So there's a reason why it's,
obviously.

1265
00:50:21,640 --> 00:50:24,190
All falls on you now anyway.
The whole, yeah, it's all a big,

1266
00:50:24,200 --> 00:50:26,010
horrible circle there.
I think maybe you can see that

1267
00:50:26,020 --> 00:50:28,510
from our analogies, but it's
very broken.

1268
00:50:28,520 --> 00:50:30,930
We need an intervention of
funding and training from the

1269
00:50:30,940 --> 00:50:31,650
government.
Guess what?

1270
00:50:31,660 --> 00:50:32,690
We won't get it.
We might get it.

1271
00:50:32,700 --> 00:50:34,470
Actually, we might get it just
before the election.

1272
00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:35,340
When?
They re election.

1273
00:50:35,350 --> 00:50:38,070
No one's gonna vote for.
Them this election year guys

1274
00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:40,390
might get something from the
frontline here to teachers.

1275
00:50:40,460 --> 00:50:41,750
It's broken.
It's broken.

1276
00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:45,510
Another big thing obviously send
provision for a long time.

1277
00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:47,890
I think it's become more and
more mainstream in terms of

1278
00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:50,650
this, this, you know, these
children have these needs.

1279
00:50:50,700 --> 00:50:53,320
It was brushed under the carpet.
It still existed back in the 70s

1280
00:50:53,330 --> 00:50:55,210
and 80s and 90s.
But it's much more in the

1281
00:50:55,220 --> 00:50:57,970
forefront now, much more
accepted, much more mainstream,

1282
00:50:57,980 --> 00:51:00,170
let's say, for it to be
accepted.

1283
00:51:00,180 --> 00:51:02,390
And yeah, OK, we, we understand
this.

1284
00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:03,170
Do we get the help?
No.

1285
00:51:03,180 --> 00:51:05,920
But we know it's a thing.
Sorry, one really quick point I.

1286
00:51:05,930 --> 00:51:08,270
Know you want to move on, but
I've spoke to a lot of older

1287
00:51:08,280 --> 00:51:10,770
people who say to me, yeah,
those kids just weren't at

1288
00:51:10,780 --> 00:51:14,510
school back in my day and they
almost see it as a it's such a

1289
00:51:14,520 --> 00:51:16,750
detriment for these kids to be
in mainstream school.

1290
00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:20,960
And the irony is, right, those,
I've seen so many children on

1291
00:51:20,970 --> 00:51:23,990
the SND register with severe
needs that have absolutely

1292
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:28,270
thrived at mainstream school and
and almost definitely achieved a

1293
00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:30,390
better, the best version of
themselves at that school.

1294
00:51:30,440 --> 00:51:32,630
Maybe compared to if they went
to a special school where they

1295
00:51:32,640 --> 00:51:34,910
might have been, they might just
not have had as many, you know,

1296
00:51:34,920 --> 00:51:37,900
the same social aspects.
Everything.

1297
00:51:37,910 --> 00:51:39,450
Yeah.
And but it's funny because

1298
00:51:39,460 --> 00:51:41,350
people would be like, oh, it's
such a detriment, isn't it?

1299
00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:43,640
They've now been shoved into
mainstream school and it's like,

1300
00:51:43,650 --> 00:51:45,920
no, it shouldn't be because if
the funding was there, would be

1301
00:51:45,930 --> 00:51:47,570
the best thing ever happened to
them.

1302
00:51:47,640 --> 00:51:51,410
It just isn't quite there.
I think on that point, there are

1303
00:51:51,420 --> 00:51:53,220
some children who thrive going,
especially schools.

1304
00:51:53,230 --> 00:51:55,120
Yeah, of course.
So I think the overall point

1305
00:51:55,130 --> 00:51:56,800
here has to be, yeah, guess
what?

1306
00:51:56,810 --> 00:51:59,000
Special educational needs is
really individualised and

1307
00:51:59,010 --> 00:52:01,110
there's no shortcut to doing it
properly other than fully

1308
00:52:01,120 --> 00:52:02,510
funding.
And it's not doing what used to

1309
00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:05,360
happen, which is anyone remotely
come all the way to put them all

1310
00:52:05,370 --> 00:52:07,330
into the specialist.
Some of those children probably

1311
00:52:07,340 --> 00:52:09,060
shouldn't be there.
They would actually be better in

1312
00:52:09,070 --> 00:52:10,460
mainstream school with a bit of
support.

1313
00:52:10,670 --> 00:52:14,380
Every individual child with
special educational needs really

1314
00:52:14,390 --> 00:52:15,370
does need.
Yeah, of course.

1315
00:52:15,380 --> 00:52:18,260
So special attention, individual
plan, It's unbelievable.

1316
00:52:18,370 --> 00:52:19,540
Anyway, go on.
Yeah, yeah.

1317
00:52:19,550 --> 00:52:20,980
Since COVID I.
Think this is a big thing for.

1318
00:52:20,990 --> 00:52:22,600
Adults as well.
So obviously listening to this,

1319
00:52:22,610 --> 00:52:23,900
you're an adult.
Hello adult.

1320
00:52:23,950 --> 00:52:27,360
You also have noticed a big dip
in the mental health of the

1321
00:52:27,370 --> 00:52:29,140
nation ever since.
And again, I think this is

1322
00:52:29,150 --> 00:52:31,840
slightly behind SND becoming
more mainstream and acceptable,

1323
00:52:31,890 --> 00:52:33,460
but we're definitely getting
there rapidly now.

1324
00:52:33,470 --> 00:52:37,000
I think especially after COVID
where it's OK to say mental

1325
00:52:37,010 --> 00:52:38,970
health is physical health and
it's just as important.

1326
00:52:38,980 --> 00:52:41,960
And they're both intertwined
mental health since COVID.

1327
00:52:41,970 --> 00:52:46,160
Again, huge rise and I think
this is indescribably linked.

1328
00:52:46,270 --> 00:52:47,980
Indescribable in deniable.
Linked.

1329
00:52:48,050 --> 00:52:50,090
Undeniably linked To get my
prefixes right.

1330
00:52:50,100 --> 00:52:53,800
Words undeniably linked to the
COVID pandemic and being trapped

1331
00:52:53,810 --> 00:52:55,640
indoors.
Yeah, we did it for a reason.

1332
00:52:55,650 --> 00:52:57,460
Which was good.
I'm not one of these people who

1333
00:52:57,470 --> 00:53:00,000
think that COVID was made-up.
I'm not one of these people

1334
00:53:00,010 --> 00:53:02,740
who's gonna be like, ohh, there
was all these bloody scientists.

1335
00:53:02,750 --> 00:53:05,140
No, no, no, it was for a really
good reason.

1336
00:53:05,150 --> 00:53:07,640
But let's not pretend that it
didn't have a massive detriment

1337
00:53:07,650 --> 00:53:09,380
in a different way.
Which was meant we need to deal

1338
00:53:09,390 --> 00:53:10,240
with now.
Yeah, we have to.

1339
00:53:10,250 --> 00:53:11,480
Deal with that now.
We can't pretend.

1340
00:53:11,490 --> 00:53:13,580
It was not a thing just because
we had to do it.

1341
00:53:13,790 --> 00:53:16,460
So again, another one of these
things.

1342
00:53:16,510 --> 00:53:18,880
It's funding and going to sound
like a broken record.

1343
00:53:19,170 --> 00:53:22,180
The child of mental health
service CC AMHS.

1344
00:53:22,190 --> 00:53:24,280
You may have seen it, especially
if you're a teacher.

1345
00:53:24,730 --> 00:53:28,450
This is a service where it's to
help mental health with

1346
00:53:28,460 --> 00:53:30,560
children.
And the amount of children

1347
00:53:30,570 --> 00:53:33,560
experiencing mental health
problems has rocketed both in

1348
00:53:33,570 --> 00:53:35,560
primary school and especially in
secondary schools.

1349
00:53:35,570 --> 00:53:38,540
Reach adolescence even more so.
I'm a secondary school teacher

1350
00:53:38,550 --> 00:53:39,240
now.
Sure.

1351
00:53:39,250 --> 00:53:42,200
I've got a child, I've
identified maybe over a series

1352
00:53:42,210 --> 00:53:45,540
of time, who is whose mental
health is seriously declining

1353
00:53:45,550 --> 00:53:47,190
and it's affecting their
absence, affecting their

1354
00:53:47,490 --> 00:53:50,060
massively.
So what you're telling me is I

1355
00:53:50,070 --> 00:53:53,180
can contact child mental health
services and they all be able to

1356
00:53:53,190 --> 00:53:54,900
receive some services to help?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1357
00:53:54,910 --> 00:53:57,640
In about three years, Yeah.
Because the waiting list for

1358
00:53:57,650 --> 00:54:00,520
these things.
Because post COVID huge need for

1359
00:54:00,530 --> 00:54:02,420
it.
But nothing's happened in terms

1360
00:54:02,430 --> 00:54:04,260
of funding.
Nothing's happened in terms of

1361
00:54:04,270 --> 00:54:06,940
widening this.
It's inaccessible.

1362
00:54:06,950 --> 00:54:09,340
This service is now.
It's years for rating this year

1363
00:54:09,350 --> 00:54:11,530
like 18 months.
That is too.

1364
00:54:11,540 --> 00:54:14,020
That's 18 months of children not
getting into school.

1365
00:54:14,070 --> 00:54:16,180
And more importantly by the way,
I know we're focusing on

1366
00:54:16,190 --> 00:54:18,640
children getting into school.
That's 18 months with someone

1367
00:54:18,650 --> 00:54:21,510
suffering from mental health
problems without being helped.

1368
00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:23,980
Yeah, like, just look at the
bottom line here of we're not

1369
00:54:23,990 --> 00:54:26,540
helping our children who are
suffering from mental health

1370
00:54:26,550 --> 00:54:28,420
issues.
It's disgusting.

1371
00:54:28,490 --> 00:54:31,660
And one of the things the
committee say here is hello.

1372
00:54:31,710 --> 00:54:34,020
This by the way this also needs
funding.

1373
00:54:34,030 --> 00:54:37,060
Please government, can you
please put some money into this.

1374
00:54:37,160 --> 00:54:39,270
It was a really good thing I
think from the committee which

1375
00:54:39,280 --> 00:54:42,230
which has to happen.
They said every secondary school

1376
00:54:42,500 --> 00:54:44,650
urgently, never mind primary
school by the way, just

1377
00:54:44,660 --> 00:54:46,750
secondary school cause it is a
big problem in secondary school

1378
00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:48,810
and we know it's problem in
primary.

1379
00:54:48,820 --> 00:54:51,850
But at least they said every
secondary school urgently their

1380
00:54:51,860 --> 00:54:55,750
words needs funding for mental
health provision by 2025.

1381
00:54:55,830 --> 00:54:58,890
That includes training staff on
what to look out for, where to

1382
00:54:58,900 --> 00:55:02,070
go.
And there's no point training

1383
00:55:02,080 --> 00:55:04,890
staff and making sure as
teachers know what to look out

1384
00:55:04,900 --> 00:55:07,470
for mental health unless
professionals are going to come

1385
00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:10,270
in and help them as well.
We need money ploughed into

1386
00:55:10,280 --> 00:55:12,210
this.
Isn't there a hilarious loop in

1387
00:55:12,220 --> 00:55:13,520
this?
System as well as even even

1388
00:55:13,530 --> 00:55:16,280
worse, where I know we've write
down notes, but you know more

1389
00:55:16,290 --> 00:55:17,640
about this about them.
Not so.

1390
00:55:17,650 --> 00:55:21,340
Currently an absence for mental
health is recorded as an

1391
00:55:21,350 --> 00:55:24,820
unauthorised absence because you
need medical, you need medical

1392
00:55:24,830 --> 00:55:28,620
evidence for it to go to go down
as a legitimate medical reason

1393
00:55:28,630 --> 00:55:30,200
and you can't get the medical
evidence.

1394
00:55:30,210 --> 00:55:31,310
There's a two year waiting.
Exactly.

1395
00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:33,920
I'm just like, Oh my God, that's
horrible loop of a lot of the

1396
00:55:33,930 --> 00:55:34,920
unauthorised.
Absences.

1397
00:55:34,930 --> 00:55:36,060
Our mental health?
Yeah.

1398
00:55:36,070 --> 00:55:37,920
So a big thing the committee
have said as well is they need

1399
00:55:37,930 --> 00:55:39,760
another code.
You see voter registers anyone

1400
00:55:39,770 --> 00:55:42,200
doesn't know when you do
register M is absent for

1401
00:55:42,210 --> 00:55:43,880
medical.
Yeah, C might be like an

1402
00:55:43,890 --> 00:55:45,230
authorised absence for a
different reason.

1403
00:55:45,240 --> 00:55:47,030
Maybe you're going to like a
family in different schools have

1404
00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:48,000
different.
Yeah, different.

1405
00:55:48,010 --> 00:55:50,630
So it's all coded.
But they're saying we need a

1406
00:55:50,640 --> 00:55:54,080
code for mental health issues so
that it is authorised still and

1407
00:55:54,090 --> 00:55:56,110
then we can track it because at
the minute it's just down as an

1408
00:55:56,120 --> 00:55:58,170
authorised.
It's the same as someone just

1409
00:55:58,180 --> 00:56:00,080
being late.
Yeah, it's the same as someone

1410
00:56:00,340 --> 00:56:01,830
not being bothered to come in
from warning.

1411
00:56:01,840 --> 00:56:04,060
It's the same on the register as
someone who's suffering from

1412
00:56:04,070 --> 00:56:05,670
mental health and we're not
tracking it properly.

1413
00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:06,530
Then it is.
Stupid.

1414
00:56:06,540 --> 00:56:08,440
It's a stupid start, isn't it?
We're not tracking it properly,

1415
00:56:08,450 --> 00:56:11,170
then we can't really make proper
analysis of what's going on.

1416
00:56:11,180 --> 00:56:13,000
No, not at all.
I just think.

1417
00:56:14,250 --> 00:56:16,760
One of the overarching themes
here is obviously funding

1418
00:56:16,830 --> 00:56:19,360
another overarching theme for
me, and it's something I'm

1419
00:56:19,370 --> 00:56:21,840
really frustrated with as
someone who cares.

1420
00:56:21,850 --> 00:56:24,850
And I said this on our story,
right, that we became teachers

1421
00:56:24,860 --> 00:56:26,300
because we care about children,
right?

1422
00:56:26,310 --> 00:56:28,680
We came teachers because we want
what's best for the children.

1423
00:56:28,690 --> 00:56:31,620
I think it's really important as
someone, as people who care

1424
00:56:31,630 --> 00:56:35,400
about our kids massively seeing
this happen is is so

1425
00:56:35,410 --> 00:56:37,900
frustrating.
And what's even more frustrating

1426
00:56:37,970 --> 00:56:41,000
is when the government
especially tried to pretend that

1427
00:56:41,010 --> 00:56:43,270
we're the experts and
everything, and I think we need

1428
00:56:43,280 --> 00:56:46,870
to normalise as teachers, saying
that we absolutely are not the

1429
00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:47,910
experts.
Everything.

1430
00:56:47,960 --> 00:56:50,490
I'm really good at planning and
delivering maths lessons.

1431
00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:53,890
I'm really quite good at taking
a curriculum, understanding how

1432
00:56:53,900 --> 00:56:58,490
children learn, mapping that out
to my class, responding as I go,

1433
00:56:58,500 --> 00:57:01,490
assessing as I go, changing my
learning as I go, getting the

1434
00:57:01,500 --> 00:57:04,020
children to an endpoint.
And by the way, as I've been

1435
00:57:04,030 --> 00:57:06,090
going through, not because of
any formal training, but I feel

1436
00:57:06,100 --> 00:57:08,510
like I'm good at building
relationships with children and

1437
00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:11,440
knowing their needs and meeting
their needs as much as possible.

1438
00:57:11,450 --> 00:57:14,070
I'm an expert in teaching, an
expert at teaching.

1439
00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:16,480
Like, there's a lot of really
good, amazing teachers out

1440
00:57:16,490 --> 00:57:18,490
there.
Everyone I've worked with is an

1441
00:57:18,560 --> 00:57:21,110
expert teacher.
They're fantastic and if they're

1442
00:57:21,120 --> 00:57:23,650
early in their career they're
learning and they're bloody

1443
00:57:23,660 --> 00:57:25,830
brilliant as well because
they've got the drive and the

1444
00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:29,640
passion.
What I cannot pretend that I am

1445
00:57:29,750 --> 00:57:32,960
is someone who can adequately
spot mental health trauma.

1446
00:57:33,130 --> 00:57:36,260
I'm not someone who can
adequately adequately say what a

1447
00:57:36,270 --> 00:57:39,100
child needs in terms of a
provision for a very, very

1448
00:57:39,110 --> 00:57:41,280
individualised special
educational need they have.

1449
00:57:41,350 --> 00:57:43,070
I'm not trained properly in
that.

1450
00:57:43,120 --> 00:57:44,870
So when probably do it to a
surface.

1451
00:57:44,880 --> 00:57:48,700
Level, but not an expert.
I'm not an expert, so we.

1452
00:57:48,710 --> 00:57:51,860
Need to stop pretending that
this can be brushed under the

1453
00:57:51,870 --> 00:57:54,610
carpet.
This, this cannot be solved by

1454
00:57:54,620 --> 00:57:56,760
just saying, well, you know,
here are the problems.

1455
00:57:56,770 --> 00:58:00,940
Teachers, if you go, no, we need
people in school, experts in

1456
00:58:00,950 --> 00:58:03,970
school training delivered to
make me an expert in something,

1457
00:58:03,980 --> 00:58:07,290
if you want me to be or people
who are experts because you know

1458
00:58:07,300 --> 00:58:10,000
what, it's a whole profession.
Understanding mental health is

1459
00:58:10,010 --> 00:58:12,410
an entire profession.
Understanding dyslexia is an

1460
00:58:12,420 --> 00:58:15,190
entire profession.
Understanding ADHD is an entire

1461
00:58:15,200 --> 00:58:17,750
profession.
Like to be an expert, that takes

1462
00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:20,040
years and years of learning
about it and doing it in

1463
00:58:20,050 --> 00:58:22,390
schools.
We cannot pretend that class

1464
00:58:22,400 --> 00:58:25,380
teachers are that we are not.
We need support.

1465
00:58:25,390 --> 00:58:28,340
It's the only way this is ever
going to change that my brother

1466
00:58:28,410 --> 00:58:30,000
I'm into.
That well, Dylan, that was that

1467
00:58:30,010 --> 00:58:31,040
was very passionate.
Very good.

1468
00:58:31,050 --> 00:58:32,900
I enjoyed listening to that.
We are gonna have a quick Jingle

1469
00:58:32,910 --> 00:58:35,330
break.
No, it's this is normally about

1470
00:58:35,340 --> 00:58:37,340
how long our episodes are.
But join us after the jungle

1471
00:58:37,350 --> 00:58:38,980
because we're gonna carry on.
We got one more topic we're

1472
00:58:38,990 --> 00:58:41,910
going to be talking about.
Find out after the Jingle.

1473
00:58:44,700 --> 00:58:46,150
OK, Welcome.
Back Well done for the whole

1474
00:58:46,160 --> 00:58:46,920
second to.
Find out.

1475
00:58:47,840 --> 00:58:50,710
We know how to keep you here.
Anyway, Dylan, got a question

1476
00:58:50,720 --> 00:58:52,750
for you.
The problem You can be a bit

1477
00:58:52,760 --> 00:58:54,680
embarrassed now because you've
been talking about this for an

1478
00:58:54,690 --> 00:58:56,110
hour.
Government have kind of solved

1479
00:58:56,120 --> 00:58:58,170
it, haven't they?
Have already solved this issue.

1480
00:58:58,180 --> 00:59:00,050
What have they done?
Have missed it.

1481
00:59:00,220 --> 00:59:02,050
When?
When kids don't come to school.

1482
00:59:02,120 --> 00:59:03,290
You just give them a.
Fine.

1483
00:59:04,720 --> 00:59:06,620
Ohh I.
Have solved the problem because

1484
00:59:06,740 --> 00:59:08,300
if you.
Don't bring your kids to school.

1485
00:59:08,310 --> 00:59:10,560
We're gonna find you.
As the government said, fines

1486
00:59:10,570 --> 00:59:11,950
are famously great.
Yeah.

1487
00:59:11,960 --> 00:59:13,920
For deterring everything, yeah.
So.

1488
00:59:13,970 --> 00:59:14,810
But someone?
What was it?

1489
00:59:14,820 --> 00:59:16,500
Someone.
Said to me before, like find

1490
00:59:17,290 --> 00:59:19,300
finds out only a system for the
poor.

1491
00:59:19,310 --> 00:59:21,560
Yeah, that's all they are
because the rich don't care.

1492
00:59:21,630 --> 00:59:23,580
Think about traffic, traffic
fines, right?

1493
00:59:23,590 --> 00:59:27,420
Parking fines, OK, if you're if
you're incredibly rich, right?

1494
00:59:28,050 --> 00:59:29,820
OK, let me start this whole
analogy again.

1495
00:59:29,870 --> 00:59:32,600
If you go and put on a double
yellow line, let's say it's a

1496
00:59:32,610 --> 00:59:34,980
��60 fine.
OK, if you go and pay for

1497
00:59:34,990 --> 00:59:39,430
parking, it's like 3 LB.
Yeah, so oz, ��3.60 quid lemon

1498
00:59:39,440 --> 00:59:40,690
out.
I'm going to go and get my gonna

1499
00:59:40,700 --> 00:59:43,820
go and pay my 3 lbs.
I don't get 6 LB point when you

1500
00:59:43,830 --> 00:59:48,370
earn 100 times more than I do.
Yeah, 3 LB is 60 LB and the

1501
00:59:48,380 --> 00:59:50,370
rest.
So it's that, you know I don't

1502
00:59:50,380 --> 00:59:53,030
have to pay anything because I'm
rich and if I do get caught

1503
00:59:53,040 --> 00:59:54,830
every now and then it's less
proportionately than that.

1504
00:59:54,840 --> 00:59:57,530
All you guys are going OK.
It costs me 60.

1505
00:59:57,540 --> 00:59:59,240
Pounds to park my car here.
That's the way that's the

1506
00:59:59,250 --> 01:00:01,640
analogy when I get caught.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1507
01:00:01,650 --> 01:00:02,460
Which?
Is not even all the.

1508
01:00:02,470 --> 01:00:05,550
Time, so you know.
What do you think about in terms

1509
01:00:05,560 --> 01:00:08,860
of that?
Would you have a, a, a scale for

1510
01:00:08,870 --> 01:00:11,080
rich people like a percentage of
your income for like parking

1511
01:00:11,090 --> 01:00:13,080
fines and stuff?
Imagine it's a big thing.

1512
01:00:13,090 --> 01:00:14,960
Well, because speeding fines
like that.

1513
01:00:15,050 --> 01:00:17,020
And I think you know that now
they they've changed over the

1514
01:00:17,030 --> 01:00:19,500
years like speeding fines used
to be flat fees but now they are

1515
01:00:19,710 --> 01:00:23,140
like over certain types of fines
anyway, certain such as speeding

1516
01:00:23,150 --> 01:00:24,400
things.
It's like it's on your weekly

1517
01:00:24,410 --> 01:00:25,460
income now.
Yeah, I think it's good.

1518
01:00:25,470 --> 01:00:27,220
It's like you get fined a weeks
income.

1519
01:00:27,230 --> 01:00:29,150
I saw someone trying to defend
that I think is one of the.

1520
01:00:29,160 --> 01:00:31,480
Side men that's we're gonna have
a whole episode by the way and

1521
01:00:31,490 --> 01:00:33,540
side men and their influence on
children.

1522
01:00:33,770 --> 01:00:35,590
It wasn't.
It was another one of the crew

1523
01:00:35,600 --> 01:00:38,760
that do he tried to.
Defend on a.

1524
01:00:38,770 --> 01:00:41,320
YouTube short that absolutely
shouldn't be to do your money.

1525
01:00:41,330 --> 01:00:43,100
It's not my fault that I've got
more money than you.

1526
01:00:43,150 --> 01:00:46,180
I was and then and then his
co-host was like yeah, but it

1527
01:00:46,190 --> 01:00:47,830
obviously should though
shouldn't do you know what a

1528
01:00:47,840 --> 01:00:49,440
deterrent is.
It's not a deterrent for you

1529
01:00:49,450 --> 01:00:50,690
because you're talking about
doing it.

1530
01:00:50,700 --> 01:00:52,510
Yeah, it's not a deterrent you
anymore.

1531
01:00:52,520 --> 01:00:54,120
Then it's not a.
Deterrent Exactly.

1532
01:00:54,130 --> 01:00:56,140
It has to be a deterrent for
everyone because you might have

1533
01:00:56,150 --> 01:00:57,660
to scale.
Ohh, it's only for poor people

1534
01:00:57,670 --> 01:00:59,600
Anyway, why are we talking?
About the terms and fines anyway

1535
01:00:59,610 --> 01:01:01,600
because OK, so the current in
the current.

1536
01:01:01,610 --> 01:01:04,190
System.
You know schools are able to

1537
01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:06,100
issue a fine.
So if you're if you're

1538
01:01:06,110 --> 01:01:09,220
persistently and we'll talk
about the kind of rules I guess

1539
01:01:09,230 --> 01:01:11,140
of like when you're supposed to
find and and the committee is

1540
01:01:11,150 --> 01:01:15,400
given guidance on it, fine.
So fines have been proven to

1541
01:01:15,930 --> 01:01:19,240
have an impact in getting
children back to school so that

1542
01:01:19,250 --> 01:01:22,270
they're not completely useless.
But you know with everything

1543
01:01:22,280 --> 01:01:25,080
there are pros and cons and
there are a lot of cons to

1544
01:01:25,090 --> 01:01:27,090
fines.
Yeah, I don't like them.

1545
01:01:27,870 --> 01:01:29,240
So you've got.
Yeah, I'm just gonna.

1546
01:01:29,250 --> 01:01:30,570
Jump the gun.
Here and just kind of.

1547
01:01:31,290 --> 01:01:33,220
I think that's what you were
getting because I don't really

1548
01:01:33,230 --> 01:01:34,280
like them.
No.

1549
01:01:34,330 --> 01:01:37,100
I think there's two reasons for
this.

1550
01:01:37,170 --> 01:01:40,970
Number one I would say on the
current climate everything we've

1551
01:01:40,980 --> 01:01:43,820
just spoken about Do you think
are fine would solve them

1552
01:01:43,830 --> 01:01:45,960
problems.
So do you think are fine would

1553
01:01:45,970 --> 01:01:48,610
solve the problem of send
children not get their prison

1554
01:01:48,620 --> 01:01:50,180
they need.
Do you think are fine would then

1555
01:01:50,190 --> 01:01:53,580
be like ohh suddenly my kid can
come in my my answer is just

1556
01:01:53,590 --> 01:01:55,700
reality the.
Finds existed before COVID, They

1557
01:01:55,710 --> 01:01:57,870
existed through COVID.
They still still exist now and

1558
01:01:57,880 --> 01:02:00,430
all these problems will happen.
So I don't think they'll fix it

1559
01:02:00,440 --> 01:02:01,810
because they aren't fixing it
and they exist.

1560
01:02:01,890 --> 01:02:03,980
Yeah, that's such a good point.
But they do have some impact.

1561
01:02:03,990 --> 01:02:06,010
You know, I don't think I.
Don't necessarily think, I

1562
01:02:06,020 --> 01:02:08,020
wouldn't jump straight to you
get rid of them because I do

1563
01:02:08,030 --> 01:02:09,500
think they probably have a
place.

1564
01:02:09,540 --> 01:02:13,950
There are probably some specific
situations in which maybe a

1565
01:02:13,960 --> 01:02:17,490
parent is taking the Mick, We'll
come on to that because, OK,

1566
01:02:17,500 --> 01:02:19,320
let's do it right now actually.
Because there are some.

1567
01:02:19,550 --> 01:02:23,280
There are some instances where
you might be in a primary

1568
01:02:23,290 --> 01:02:25,810
school, let's just say, and then
two roads away there's another

1569
01:02:25,820 --> 01:02:28,050
school.
The exact same absences have

1570
01:02:28,060 --> 01:02:31,990
happened and because at the
minute it's down to the whim of

1571
01:02:32,000 --> 01:02:34,850
the head teacher to decide when
is suitable for a fine, they've

1572
01:02:34,860 --> 01:02:37,510
got to meet a threshold.
But once that threshold is met

1573
01:02:37,620 --> 01:02:40,800
they don't have to issue a fine.
It's still down to the head

1574
01:02:40,810 --> 01:02:42,270
teacher.
Yeah, so you could have two

1575
01:02:42,280 --> 01:02:44,490
schools, 2 absences, 2
backgrounds, exactly the same

1576
01:02:44,500 --> 01:02:46,970
low income families.
One's getting shafted for ��80

1577
01:02:47,040 --> 01:02:49,310
which is a huge proportion of
their weekly income of their

1578
01:02:49,320 --> 01:02:51,020
monthly income.
It might mean that they go

1579
01:02:51,030 --> 01:02:52,480
without food for a bit.
Hmm.

1580
01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:54,590
And one family is just getting
away Scott free.

1581
01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:58,070
What you're saying is OK, yeah,
there should be some fines, but

1582
01:02:58,080 --> 01:03:00,570
maybe it should be like
individualised basis.

1583
01:03:00,640 --> 01:03:01,820
That's kind of what we've got
now.

1584
01:03:01,830 --> 01:03:04,100
And it's not, yeah, I guess so.
It probably isn't working very

1585
01:03:04,110 --> 01:03:05,410
well, so.
Maybe we do need again a bit

1586
01:03:05,420 --> 01:03:08,110
more guidance on where and how
this is to be used or like you

1587
01:03:08,120 --> 01:03:10,300
said, just a better system
maybe.

1588
01:03:10,460 --> 01:03:12,910
I guess my point is I wouldn't
want to scrap finds if we had

1589
01:03:12,920 --> 01:03:15,570
nothing else in place.
Sure, if we had, if the other

1590
01:03:15,580 --> 01:03:19,330
option was 0 to Terrence, I just
don't think you know it has some

1591
01:03:19,340 --> 01:03:21,120
impact.
Can I explain why I think we

1592
01:03:21,130 --> 01:03:22,900
should get rid of.
Them and I'm absolutely on the

1593
01:03:22,910 --> 01:03:25,130
side of, even if there was
nothing in place, I think.

1594
01:03:25,140 --> 01:03:28,030
Just get rid of them.
Because although there's been a

1595
01:03:28,040 --> 01:03:31,590
minimal, minimal difference
here, I do think that, and this

1596
01:03:31,600 --> 01:03:34,160
is backed up by the evidence of
the committee, Low Income

1597
01:03:34,170 --> 01:03:36,900
Families, one of the last kind
of groups of people we're going

1598
01:03:36,910 --> 01:03:40,360
to talk about who have been much
more impacted by absence,

1599
01:03:40,570 --> 01:03:42,840
They're much more likely to
receive, receive fines because

1600
01:03:42,850 --> 01:03:44,260
they're much more likely to be
absent.

1601
01:03:44,370 --> 01:03:49,420
I think the impact of a fine on
a low income family is

1602
01:03:49,470 --> 01:03:52,560
unbelievably huge, to the point
where even as now as

1603
01:03:52,570 --> 01:03:55,640
professionals who aren't
incredibly rich people, but we

1604
01:03:55,650 --> 01:03:57,840
are bloody well off compared to
what the people we're talking

1605
01:03:57,850 --> 01:03:59,350
about.
We've got children living in

1606
01:03:59,360 --> 01:04:03,350
poverty who already aren't
getting enough nutrition, who

1607
01:04:03,360 --> 01:04:05,680
already we're fighting, arguing
that we should be getting free

1608
01:04:05,690 --> 01:04:08,240
meals for those people.
Yeah, if they're missing school,

1609
01:04:08,250 --> 01:04:11,650
do we think that it's ever
remotely good to say, OK, ��80

1610
01:04:11,660 --> 01:04:13,980
for these parents, I guess in my
little analogy.

1611
01:04:13,990 --> 01:04:16,280
In my brain earlier, keeping the
fines, I'm never finding those

1612
01:04:16,290 --> 01:04:17,830
people.
Sure, that's the problem, but

1613
01:04:17,840 --> 01:04:21,000
then this is the same problem.
It's down to the winner.

1614
01:04:21,010 --> 01:04:23,540
I wouldn't, I wouldn't be.
When I'm talking about looking

1615
01:04:23,550 --> 01:04:25,330
at individual situations,
they're the ones I wouldn't be

1616
01:04:25,340 --> 01:04:27,170
doing it to.
But there might be other parents

1617
01:04:27,180 --> 01:04:29,030
where, you know, maybe they are
well and they're on their 4th

1618
01:04:29,040 --> 01:04:30,260
holiday.
So would you have a scale?

1619
01:04:30,270 --> 01:04:32,000
And I'd be like, oh, you've.
Got you know, you're just

1620
01:04:32,010 --> 01:04:33,320
taking.
Them because the committee say

1621
01:04:33,330 --> 01:04:34,790
it needs to be more consistent.
How it's.

1622
01:04:34,930 --> 01:04:37,440
It's labelled and it feels like
what you're saying, although

1623
01:04:37,450 --> 01:04:39,590
coming from a good place is very
inconsistent.

1624
01:04:39,650 --> 01:04:43,060
Yeah, which isn't Would would
you have still some rules then,

1625
01:04:43,070 --> 01:04:45,630
but just hire the if you could?
That's the problem I.

1626
01:04:45,640 --> 01:04:48,260
Don't know if you could so my
point is because you can't just.

1627
01:04:48,270 --> 01:04:50,720
Don't have to, yeah, yeah,
Because if if one.

1628
01:04:50,730 --> 01:04:53,220
Family get.
Fined 80 quid who literally

1629
01:04:53,230 --> 01:04:55,850
can't afford ��80 and they're
behind in their rent now or the

1630
01:04:55,860 --> 01:04:59,580
child didn't get one dinner that
would annoy me more than five

1631
01:04:59,590 --> 01:05:01,200
rich families getting away on
holiday.

1632
01:05:01,210 --> 01:05:02,750
What They could just sent their
kid into school.

1633
01:05:03,680 --> 01:05:05,510
So what are the barriers?
My question here So what are the

1634
01:05:05,520 --> 01:05:06,800
barriers?
Why are these kids not going

1635
01:05:07,160 --> 01:05:08,030
mental health?
Everything.

1636
01:05:08,040 --> 01:05:09,710
We just talked.
About, Yeah, there's definitely

1637
01:05:09,720 --> 01:05:11,810
authorised, right, the fine.
Isn't isn't talking about

1638
01:05:11,820 --> 01:05:13,270
wouldn't be.
No, mental health wouldn't be

1639
01:05:13,280 --> 01:05:15,650
SND if the things aren't in
place for our mainstream school.

1640
01:05:15,660 --> 01:05:17,670
We see it all the time.
If the mainstream don't have the

1641
01:05:17,680 --> 01:05:18,810
funding, we just talked about
it.

1642
01:05:18,880 --> 01:05:20,910
They're they're going to be
unauthorised absence because the

1643
01:05:20,920 --> 01:05:22,560
kid doesn't want to come in
because it knows that he's going

1644
01:05:22,570 --> 01:05:23,900
to have the worst time ever in
school.

1645
01:05:23,910 --> 01:05:24,860
There's nothing in there to
help.

1646
01:05:24,870 --> 01:05:26,770
So for low income families, what
other barriers are there?

1647
01:05:26,780 --> 01:05:28,770
Then to their attendance, well,
we've got the ones you know

1648
01:05:28,780 --> 01:05:31,450
because yeah, income families is
higher proportion.

1649
01:05:32,080 --> 01:05:33,740
So everything we talked about,
it's more like.

1650
01:05:33,810 --> 01:05:35,990
Affect them so far.
But there's other things in the

1651
01:05:36,000 --> 01:05:37,830
cost of living crisis right now.
Transport.

1652
01:05:37,840 --> 01:05:39,810
Getting into school?
Yeah, If the car breaks down,

1653
01:05:39,820 --> 01:05:41,290
you don't have money to fix the
car.

1654
01:05:41,300 --> 01:05:43,650
You can't enter school unless
you use public transport.

1655
01:05:43,660 --> 01:05:45,170
Use public transport.
There might be delays.

1656
01:05:45,180 --> 01:05:46,960
You might be late to work.
You've got.

1657
01:05:46,970 --> 01:05:49,290
You there's other stuff that you
you need to get into work for

1658
01:05:49,300 --> 01:05:50,990
certain.
Times like that, the other thing

1659
01:05:51,000 --> 01:05:53,890
uniform costs through the roof.
If you're in a draconian school.

1660
01:05:53,900 --> 01:05:56,170
And I know if these schools
where they're very, very, very

1661
01:05:56,180 --> 01:05:58,210
strict on what you've got to
wear and where it's got to come

1662
01:05:58,220 --> 01:05:59,590
from.
It's got to come from this

1663
01:05:59,600 --> 01:06:01,390
school shop, which, by the way,
we're affiliated with.

1664
01:06:01,400 --> 01:06:04,450
And we take a profit from making
school, by the way, not free at

1665
01:06:04,460 --> 01:06:06,130
the point of delivery because
you're forcing them to spend

1666
01:06:06,140 --> 01:06:08,480
hundreds of pounds on uniform.
But you've got to get from this

1667
01:06:08,490 --> 01:06:11,040
supplier who we work with and
it's got to be a a blazer with

1668
01:06:11,050 --> 01:06:13,170
our badge on it and it's got to
be a jumper with our badge on it

1669
01:06:13,180 --> 01:06:15,280
and a tie.
It's absolute nonsense.

1670
01:06:15,290 --> 01:06:17,680
So, you know, uniform costs,
that's one thing that can come

1671
01:06:17,690 --> 01:06:18,830
in.
I think it should be a

1672
01:06:18,840 --> 01:06:20,360
government.
I think it should be a law, I

1673
01:06:20,370 --> 01:06:22,730
guess, where schools aren't
allowed to have branded things

1674
01:06:22,810 --> 01:06:25,790
as as compulsory.
They can have them, but they

1675
01:06:25,800 --> 01:06:27,750
cannot be compulsory.
You should be allowed to go into

1676
01:06:27,760 --> 01:06:28,910
next.
Sorry.

1677
01:06:28,920 --> 01:06:31,570
Go into what's the Florence and
Fred in Tesco.

1678
01:06:31,580 --> 01:06:32,810
Yeah.
You should be allowed to go into

1679
01:06:32,820 --> 01:06:36,140
George Asda, get a 3 LB example
of that screen and that should

1680
01:06:36,150 --> 01:06:37,800
that should be absolutely fine.
Yeah, couple of them up.

1681
01:06:37,810 --> 01:06:39,680
Done.
So really then we can summarise

1682
01:06:39,690 --> 01:06:44,280
that any, any cost associated
with attending school is

1683
01:06:44,290 --> 01:06:47,190
obviously a huge part of the
reason that low income families

1684
01:06:47,200 --> 01:06:49,660
have have worse attendance,
absolutely and guess what the

1685
01:06:49,670 --> 01:06:52,210
committee are.
Suggesting that that cost is

1686
01:06:52,220 --> 01:06:55,860
covered by the government.
There is no quick fix to this

1687
01:06:55,930 --> 01:06:59,010
like so much in our society
these days with NHS waiting

1688
01:06:59,020 --> 01:07:03,440
lists, with GP practises, with
schools, there is no fix other

1689
01:07:03,450 --> 01:07:07,090
than stumping up the money.
We've got to stump up the money,

1690
01:07:07,180 --> 01:07:09,420
we've got to pay for low income
families to get their children

1691
01:07:09,430 --> 01:07:11,910
into school.
If there's any cost incurred

1692
01:07:11,920 --> 01:07:14,530
from getting your child to
school, which is a basic human

1693
01:07:14,540 --> 01:07:19,210
right by the way, an education
should be covered in my opinion

1694
01:07:19,440 --> 01:07:22,270
in these instances.
Now devil's advocate right now

1695
01:07:22,280 --> 01:07:24,590
cuz you're good at playing this
role in terms of arguing against

1696
01:07:24,600 --> 01:07:26,780
it and we just said what we
said.

1697
01:07:26,790 --> 01:07:28,410
I think we're pretty much on the
same page.

1698
01:07:28,520 --> 01:07:30,690
I know there were people out
there who are from low income

1699
01:07:30,700 --> 01:07:33,490
families whose children go to
school every single day.

1700
01:07:33,500 --> 01:07:35,300
It's a priority.
They have that mindset.

1701
01:07:35,310 --> 01:07:36,430
They're going to get in.
Cool.

1702
01:07:36,510 --> 01:07:38,380
OK, We're gonna get them into
school because I'm the parent.

1703
01:07:38,390 --> 01:07:40,580
I'm gonna make sure.
And we talked about at the

1704
01:07:40,590 --> 01:07:43,190
start, there is some attitude
that are a problem as well.

1705
01:07:43,480 --> 01:07:45,350
But the low income family?
No attitude problem at all.

1706
01:07:45,360 --> 01:07:47,170
And get my kid into school, No
problem.

1707
01:07:47,220 --> 01:07:50,840
OK Why on earth don't I get some
tax credit then why don't I get

1708
01:07:50,850 --> 01:07:52,390
some?
You know I'm spending ��30 a

1709
01:07:52,400 --> 01:07:55,160
week, I'll get my kid into
school on transport and and and

1710
01:07:55,170 --> 01:07:56,830
and I've got them new shoes
straight away.

1711
01:07:56,870 --> 01:07:58,580
When they head teacher said they
need new shoes.

1712
01:07:59,330 --> 01:08:01,280
Why is that getting paid for by
the person next door?

1713
01:08:01,290 --> 01:08:02,760
Yeah, what would be your reply
to that?

1714
01:08:02,830 --> 01:08:04,740
Well OK it's hard isn't it?
Cause the.

1715
01:08:04,750 --> 01:08:07,090
Opinion there it goes down to
the classic why are they there?

1716
01:08:07,130 --> 01:08:09,580
Because they're less organised
than me and we're in the same

1717
01:08:09,590 --> 01:08:11,140
situation.
They're getting something I

1718
01:08:11,150 --> 01:08:13,100
don't get.
That's a tough one.

1719
01:08:13,110 --> 01:08:14,900
Firstly, I've.
I think if that was to come into

1720
01:08:14,910 --> 01:08:17,080
play, if it was to be funding,
then I think it should just be a

1721
01:08:17,090 --> 01:08:20,200
blanket actual like an income
amount, like like a lot of

1722
01:08:20,210 --> 01:08:22,979
things are in society, like
every school in every kid.

1723
01:08:22,990 --> 01:08:24,140
In school, getting free school.
Yeah.

1724
01:08:24,149 --> 01:08:25,760
I mean, yeah, it's
understanding, you know, income.

1725
01:08:25,770 --> 01:08:27,950
People, premium, whatever.
So I do think actually it's just

1726
01:08:27,960 --> 01:08:30,479
well regardless of organised you
are, you do get that well done,

1727
01:08:30,490 --> 01:08:32,180
you managed to you were going to
sort out yourself anyway.

1728
01:08:32,189 --> 01:08:33,920
But here's the funding is
actually we want to support you

1729
01:08:33,930 --> 01:08:36,010
as a family, being a low income
family, it's fine.

1730
01:08:36,020 --> 01:08:38,149
You know maybe, maybe maybe they
can have a you can get now you

1731
01:08:38,160 --> 01:08:40,350
can get a second jumper so when
they lose it they have to go for

1732
01:08:40,359 --> 01:08:42,510
three days whilst you find it.
Just think you know what I mean,

1733
01:08:42,520 --> 01:08:44,220
whatever.
So I think that that shouldn't

1734
01:08:44,229 --> 01:08:46,060
be an individual basis.
Maybe there should just be a

1735
01:08:46,069 --> 01:08:48,200
straight up threshold of for
help.

1736
01:08:48,279 --> 01:08:51,069
Well, the committee did say.
Before fines are issued, fines

1737
01:08:51,080 --> 01:08:53,260
should be a last resort.
So the committee stopped short

1738
01:08:53,270 --> 01:08:55,149
of saying get rid of fines.
Maybe I'm extreme with the view

1739
01:08:55,160 --> 01:08:56,439
that we should have any fines at
all.

1740
01:08:56,550 --> 01:08:59,300
Probably what you're saying is
maybe more sensible in terms of

1741
01:08:59,310 --> 01:09:01,550
there has to be something.
That deterrent at the end, yeah,

1742
01:09:01,560 --> 01:09:02,970
fine.
But they're saying, you know,

1743
01:09:02,979 --> 01:09:05,680
attendance, mentor programmes
are coming in, attendance times

1744
01:09:05,689 --> 01:09:06,590
are coming.
This attitude.

1745
01:09:06,600 --> 01:09:07,060
Right.
This is.

1746
01:09:07,069 --> 01:09:08,800
So now we think about the
attitude you are saying and it

1747
01:09:08,810 --> 01:09:10,680
is true and it sounds really
harsh to say this and sometimes

1748
01:09:10,689 --> 01:09:12,460
we're really careful on this
podcast, don't offend anyone.

1749
01:09:12,470 --> 01:09:14,430
But actually, end of the day,
yeah, some people do just have a

1750
01:09:14,439 --> 01:09:16,520
terrible attitude.
They school, they're just not do

1751
01:09:16,529 --> 01:09:18,439
it.
They're not doing the role.

1752
01:09:18,450 --> 01:09:20,140
They're supposed to be doing
very well and they could be

1753
01:09:20,149 --> 01:09:21,750
doing it better.
Their attitude is not very good

1754
01:09:21,760 --> 01:09:23,060
towards getting their kids to
school.

1755
01:09:23,120 --> 01:09:25,229
That is a thing.
I'm not afraid to say that, Not

1756
01:09:25,240 --> 01:09:26,859
afraid to say no, you're right.
But so.

1757
01:09:26,870 --> 01:09:28,689
So what we need to do though, is
not just moan about them.

1758
01:09:28,700 --> 01:09:31,140
That's that's a terrible,
terrible Tory mindset.

1759
01:09:31,210 --> 01:09:33,040
He's moan about them and say,
well, they should be better.

1760
01:09:33,050 --> 01:09:34,029
Like me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1761
01:09:34,040 --> 01:09:36,050
That's not how it works.
We should then be doing

1762
01:09:36,060 --> 01:09:37,410
something.
So what you were saying there,

1763
01:09:37,420 --> 01:09:39,229
trying to interrupt you?
No, no, you start that list

1764
01:09:39,240 --> 01:09:40,970
again.
These are things that, well,

1765
01:09:40,979 --> 01:09:42,770
they're already starting to be
rolled out in some.

1766
01:09:42,779 --> 01:09:45,210
Places, so attendance, mentors,
programmes.

1767
01:09:45,220 --> 01:09:47,050
You get like a professional to
be your mentor.

1768
01:09:47,100 --> 01:09:49,750
You're the person they go to.
We we struggle getting up.

1769
01:09:49,760 --> 01:09:51,890
This morning I'm gonna, I'm
gonna talk to Vicky because

1770
01:09:51,899 --> 01:09:54,290
Vicky's my mentor and Vicky will
talk to me and she'll keep me

1771
01:09:54,300 --> 01:09:56,650
accountable, like we've always
said, with health and stuff,

1772
01:09:56,660 --> 01:09:58,100
yeah.
Or, or marketing with our

1773
01:09:58,110 --> 01:09:59,770
business.
Having someone who's gonna keep

1774
01:09:59,780 --> 01:10:03,070
you kind of culpable instead of
just drop your kids off or run

1775
01:10:03,080 --> 01:10:04,490
off from the sequel.
Sorry they're late again.

1776
01:10:04,500 --> 01:10:05,950
Yeah.
Having someone who's a mentor,

1777
01:10:06,020 --> 01:10:08,710
having an attendance hub where
you get information and help

1778
01:10:08,720 --> 01:10:10,830
from someone on how to get your
kids to school on time and

1779
01:10:10,840 --> 01:10:13,210
things like that, that's gonna
be really important.

1780
01:10:13,220 --> 01:10:15,740
And they say the committee say
this is working really well

1781
01:10:15,750 --> 01:10:17,570
where it's rolling out.
Yeah, of course it is code.

1782
01:10:17,580 --> 01:10:19,430
We need it national.
Yeah, we need.

1783
01:10:19,440 --> 01:10:22,050
It to be funded and we need to
be national and targeted to the

1784
01:10:22,060 --> 01:10:24,370
children who are missing.
So think about how many rich

1785
01:10:24,380 --> 01:10:28,130
people have.
Coaches because they because the

1786
01:10:28,140 --> 01:10:30,860
system of having someone to help
you think through another mind

1787
01:10:30,870 --> 01:10:32,840
that keep you accountable.
I'm your coach something.

1788
01:10:32,850 --> 01:10:34,990
Look how much you and I'm your
coach is crazy.

1789
01:10:35,000 --> 01:10:36,800
We're just like self fulfilling
prophecy.

1790
01:10:37,070 --> 01:10:38,940
But yeah I think this is great.
I think this is what we need.

1791
01:10:38,950 --> 01:10:42,260
But again it costs money.
It costs money to have a mentor.

1792
01:10:42,270 --> 01:10:43,430
It costs money if you can have
them.

1793
01:10:43,440 --> 01:10:47,120
If you imagine you have a member
of staff every school whose job

1794
01:10:47,130 --> 01:10:48,870
from like family.
The family.

1795
01:10:49,370 --> 01:10:50,920
Yeah.
Basically, but imagine if.

1796
01:10:50,930 --> 01:10:53,680
Every work falls on them, yeah.
I know it does the problem, so

1797
01:10:53,690 --> 01:10:55,420
imagine had a.
Dedicated staff member or even

1798
01:10:55,430 --> 01:10:58,000
just they had a dedicated amount
of funding and time to get them

1799
01:10:58,010 --> 01:11:00,340
in where every morning their
sole job is is attendance and

1800
01:11:00,350 --> 01:11:02,590
just keeping those records and
and dialogues with those

1801
01:11:02,660 --> 01:11:04,180
somebody's going and visiting
him if they need to.

1802
01:11:04,190 --> 01:11:06,860
They're not tied down to seven
other jobs and our our right now

1803
01:11:06,870 --> 01:11:09,190
where they couldn't possibly do
that but they have this time OK

1804
01:11:09,200 --> 01:11:11,050
we're gonna go and see this
family because they're really

1805
01:11:11,060 --> 01:11:13,930
struggling that child you know
that there's maybe there's

1806
01:11:13,940 --> 01:11:16,090
something undiagnosed here we
don't know yet They're a bit

1807
01:11:16,100 --> 01:11:18,260
young but they're really
challenging in the morning and

1808
01:11:18,270 --> 01:11:20,720
and the and the family are
struggling to get into school

1809
01:11:20,790 --> 01:11:23,390
and quite often they're just
giving in because it's upsetting

1810
01:11:23,400 --> 01:11:25,000
them.
They're stressed, they've got to

1811
01:11:25,010 --> 01:11:27,260
go to work, they get in the van
round bang, you gotta look, you

1812
01:11:27,270 --> 01:11:30,930
know there's these situations
where these innocent people who

1813
01:11:30,940 --> 01:11:34,820
are struggling just need help.
So you've got all these layers,

1814
01:11:34,830 --> 01:11:37,980
you've got poor attitude, you've
got genuine people who just

1815
01:11:37,990 --> 01:11:39,820
really, really struggling near
the help.

1816
01:11:39,870 --> 01:11:42,220
You've got people that are just
mucking through but actually

1817
01:11:42,230 --> 01:11:44,130
still deserve the funding are
from low income families.

1818
01:11:44,140 --> 01:11:46,740
You've got 7 children, you got
children with undiagnosed

1819
01:11:46,750 --> 01:11:48,870
unauthorised mental health
issues which should be not

1820
01:11:48,880 --> 01:11:51,270
unauthorised, they shouldn't be
getting fined because of this,

1821
01:11:51,280 --> 01:11:54,050
they should be getting help.
So many layers and every single

1822
01:11:54,060 --> 01:11:57,360
one of those layers needs money.
Precisely, precisely, you've

1823
01:11:57,370 --> 01:11:58,260
summed.
Up really well.

1824
01:11:58,370 --> 01:12:01,180
I think we can add to that list
though, because this is huge.

1825
01:12:01,330 --> 01:12:04,780
I again I'm not afraid to say I
I I come from a background when

1826
01:12:04,790 --> 01:12:06,700
I was very young would be people
premium.

1827
01:12:06,710 --> 01:12:09,870
I was free school meals you know
for a long time when we were

1828
01:12:09,880 --> 01:12:12,290
very young it was just my mum me
and my sister.

1829
01:12:12,340 --> 01:12:15,540
I benefited from a lot of things
that I'm really passionate about

1830
01:12:15,550 --> 01:12:18,800
kids getting today and and one
of the biggest things that I

1831
01:12:18,810 --> 01:12:20,850
remember from primary school
we've said this a million times

1832
01:12:20,860 --> 01:12:23,790
on the podcast is the amount of
enrichment that I thought I got.

1833
01:12:23,900 --> 01:12:28,250
I felt like my when I went to
school I loved maths I loved I

1834
01:12:28,260 --> 01:12:29,670
was that kid.
I loved learning.

1835
01:12:29,740 --> 01:12:31,740
I'm not the typical person to
talk about this I suppose

1836
01:12:31,750 --> 01:12:34,050
because on the classic like if
it is just maths.

1837
01:12:34,060 --> 01:12:37,800
I was happy I was there, but I
remember from from primary

1838
01:12:37,810 --> 01:12:40,470
school is going to London to
Nation Museum.

1839
01:12:40,560 --> 01:12:44,210
I remember when we got our own
caterpillars, each in a little

1840
01:12:44,220 --> 01:12:45,530
aquarium thing.
Terraria maybe.

1841
01:12:45,540 --> 01:12:48,250
It's quite, I don't know, the
one about water where we watched

1842
01:12:48,260 --> 01:12:50,280
our Caterpillar turn into a
crisis and turn into a

1843
01:12:50,290 --> 01:12:52,310
butterfly.
Unbelievable things.

1844
01:12:52,320 --> 01:12:55,490
But these these vivid, vivid
memories I have of school are

1845
01:12:55,500 --> 01:12:57,730
always the enrichment.
It's when we got brand new toys

1846
01:12:57,740 --> 01:12:59,700
on the playground.
It's when we got our computer

1847
01:12:59,710 --> 01:13:01,750
suite in our school about that
means you wanna go into school,

1848
01:13:01,760 --> 01:13:02,390
right?
Yeah, yeah.

1849
01:13:02,400 --> 01:13:04,710
Literally, I just wanted to go
in and see my Caterpillar.

1850
01:13:04,720 --> 01:13:06,870
Yeah, it was the best thing
ever, jumping on the same.

1851
01:13:06,880 --> 01:13:08,610
Points You know, my memory is
terrible.

1852
01:13:08,700 --> 01:13:11,400
My memory, for those who haven't
been with the podcast for a long

1853
01:13:11,410 --> 01:13:14,420
time, yeah, is is like scarily
bad.

1854
01:13:14,430 --> 01:13:16,430
I actually don't remember most
of my childhood.

1855
01:13:16,440 --> 01:13:19,480
I actually think if we could get
a GP appointment, you would.

1856
01:13:21,080 --> 01:13:22,390
I just forget.
I forget yesterday.

1857
01:13:22,400 --> 01:13:23,830
I forget everything anyway, so I
don't.

1858
01:13:23,840 --> 01:13:25,180
I don't remember.
You've already said this.

1859
01:13:25,190 --> 01:13:28,910
Go away.
But I tell you what I do

1860
01:13:28,920 --> 01:13:31,150
remember.
I remember when I was in year

1861
01:13:31,160 --> 01:13:34,210
four and we had this You're
going to forget no, no, no, no,

1862
01:13:34,220 --> 01:13:35,480
no.
And we had I think the year

1863
01:13:35,490 --> 01:13:36,950
group was.
Definitely younger than six,

1864
01:13:36,960 --> 01:13:38,490
yeah.
Form we had this this little

1865
01:13:38,500 --> 01:13:42,010
this guy came in to do a science
workshop and we got to it was

1866
01:13:42,020 --> 01:13:43,670
like lab equipment and it felt
so cool.

1867
01:13:43,680 --> 01:13:45,910
We were making little potions
and like we were learning to tap

1868
01:13:45,920 --> 01:13:49,240
them to allow like the to to
knock the mixture around so the

1869
01:13:49,250 --> 01:13:51,430
smell came out so we could we
could get a whiff of out like

1870
01:13:51,440 --> 01:13:53,180
putting our nose, all these all
silly little things.

1871
01:13:53,190 --> 01:13:54,860
I remember that.
I also remember every single

1872
01:13:54,870 --> 01:13:58,050
year when we had like a drama
group come in and they actually

1873
01:13:58,060 --> 01:14:00,000
made like, they made like a
proper setup in our little

1874
01:14:00,010 --> 01:14:01,610
school.
And you did drama and CI did

1875
01:14:01,620 --> 01:14:03,430
drama, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I remember all that.

1876
01:14:03,440 --> 01:14:05,620
I remember that stuff.
I remember the Christmas party

1877
01:14:05,630 --> 01:14:07,330
because they were fun.
These are all like things.

1878
01:14:07,380 --> 01:14:08,070
I don't.
I don't.

1879
01:14:08,080 --> 01:14:11,070
I tell you what, I cannot
remember a single lesson I ever

1880
01:14:11,080 --> 01:14:14,490
learned other than the ones that
are really fun, like making a

1881
01:14:14,500 --> 01:14:17,420
book about World War 2.
And again, we know that the

1882
01:14:17,430 --> 01:14:19,190
lessons you don't.
Remember, you still learn stuff,

1883
01:14:19,200 --> 01:14:21,240
of course, but the point when
they weren't.

1884
01:14:21,250 --> 01:14:22,930
The reason I was coming?
Exactly, exactly.

1885
01:14:22,940 --> 01:14:24,640
And and this is the point we're
making here.

1886
01:14:25,100 --> 01:14:29,080
Enrichment is so important to
keep children engaged keep them

1887
01:14:29,090 --> 01:14:31,020
wanting to come in their
children.

1888
01:14:31,080 --> 01:14:34,370
At the end of the day just think
about it for a minute I had a

1889
01:14:34,380 --> 01:14:35,550
couple of years ago.
I just this is.

1890
01:14:35,560 --> 01:14:36,900
Perfect.
This is the perfect example of

1891
01:14:36,910 --> 01:14:39,650
this Couple of years ago
severely absent so would fall

1892
01:14:39,660 --> 01:14:43,110
into that category, severe
absence and was off honestly for

1893
01:14:43,120 --> 01:14:45,800
about four weeks.
And then we had an enrichment

1894
01:14:45,810 --> 01:14:48,980
activity planned for for the
afternoon of one day.

1895
01:14:48,990 --> 01:14:51,680
Guess when they came in
specifically for the after

1896
01:14:51,690 --> 01:14:54,160
didn't come over the morning of
that day they only came in and

1897
01:14:54,170 --> 01:14:56,350
they were well enough completely
fine.

1898
01:14:56,560 --> 01:14:59,640
Came in for the afternoon that
day really difficult child of

1899
01:14:59,650 --> 01:15:02,230
extremely challenging behaviour
at home family really really

1900
01:15:02,240 --> 01:15:05,150
struggled to get this child in.
Yeah yeah exact pinnacle

1901
01:15:05,200 --> 01:15:07,250
situation there is like cool
that could have been at school

1902
01:15:07,260 --> 01:15:09,390
for four weeks if there was like
a little more for help them

1903
01:15:09,580 --> 01:15:12,090
enrichment at school and someone
go and help them at home.

1904
01:15:12,100 --> 01:15:13,900
It's just but no they missed
they missed four weeks of

1905
01:15:13,910 --> 01:15:15,270
school.
So the point of us talking about

1906
01:15:15,280 --> 01:15:17,310
this is that.
There's there's stats behind

1907
01:15:17,320 --> 01:15:21,730
this.
In the last decade ��1 billion

1908
01:15:21,740 --> 01:15:25,250
less has been spent or provided
this funding to schools. 1

1909
01:15:25,260 --> 01:15:28,390
billion in the last decade
ignore inflation, 1 billion

1910
01:15:28,400 --> 01:15:30,000
less.
If it was the same, it would

1911
01:15:30,010 --> 01:15:31,170
still be less because of
inflation.

1912
01:15:31,250 --> 01:15:33,230
Yeah.
Has been spent on enrichment

1913
01:15:33,240 --> 01:15:36,970
activities in school.
We're talking arts, music, the

1914
01:15:36,980 --> 01:15:41,670
things like drama, the things
that children love doing that

1915
01:15:41,680 --> 01:15:44,340
engage children the most that
we've just worked out.

1916
01:15:44,350 --> 01:15:44,870
It's not.
Yeah.

1917
01:15:44,880 --> 01:15:46,450
Tory mindset maths.
You do.

1918
01:15:46,460 --> 01:15:48,050
You do economy edition.
Can you read?

1919
01:15:48,060 --> 01:15:49,870
Do you know what our front left
verbal is?

1920
01:15:50,160 --> 01:15:51,700
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Sorry.

1921
01:15:51,710 --> 01:15:53,810
You're not going to pretend to
be a Roman Viking for a day.

1922
01:15:53,930 --> 01:15:55,870
Excuse me.
Can you add four and seven Is

1923
01:15:55,880 --> 01:15:57,870
that science lab thing?
Whatever.

1924
01:15:57,880 --> 01:16:00,010
That is going to help us beat
the Chinese and the league

1925
01:16:00,020 --> 01:16:01,050
tables.
Yeah.

1926
01:16:01,060 --> 01:16:03,220
Do we Really?
On So if you're a child, right?

1927
01:16:03,410 --> 01:16:04,880
Who cares?
That's alright.

1928
01:16:04,930 --> 01:16:08,440
I'm only missing arithmetic,
practise and reading this this

1929
01:16:08,450 --> 01:16:09,960
text that I've got no interest
in.

1930
01:16:10,410 --> 01:16:13,200
You know, I love art.
I I love, I love, I love drawing

1931
01:16:13,210 --> 01:16:14,270
things.
I love making things.

1932
01:16:14,280 --> 01:16:16,230
We're not doing that for for six
weeks.

1933
01:16:16,290 --> 01:16:18,060
Alright, well I can't be
bothered then.

1934
01:16:18,070 --> 01:16:20,140
Yeah, all feeds in and guess
what?

1935
01:16:20,230 --> 01:16:22,400
Low income families are the ones
where school is the only

1936
01:16:22,410 --> 01:16:24,690
opportunity to do these things
they love.

1937
01:16:24,700 --> 01:16:27,210
Imagine loving art.
Imagine loving drawing.

1938
01:16:27,220 --> 01:16:28,680
You used to love drawing
younger.

1939
01:16:28,750 --> 01:16:31,060
OK drawing.
Thankfully, quite a cheap thing

1940
01:16:31,070 --> 01:16:32,850
to be able to do.
Imagine someone came in and

1941
01:16:32,860 --> 01:16:34,260
showed you sculpting.
Yeah.

1942
01:16:34,320 --> 01:16:36,630
Oh my God, I don't get the
chance to do this at.

1943
01:16:36,640 --> 01:16:39,370
Home if you're on a low income.
Family, the only enrichment you

1944
01:16:39,380 --> 01:16:42,090
get is the stuff you get through
school and it's just being

1945
01:16:42,100 --> 01:16:44,590
squeezed and squeezed and
squeezed, OK?

1946
01:16:44,600 --> 01:16:46,070
It's been squeezed.
Squeeze into death.

1947
01:16:46,080 --> 01:16:49,270
It's been squeezed into death.
And I think that's another

1948
01:16:49,340 --> 01:16:51,710
string to the bow as to why
children aren't coming into

1949
01:16:51,720 --> 01:16:53,690
school.
They need enrichment.

1950
01:16:53,700 --> 01:16:55,710
They are little children.
Does it cost money?

1951
01:16:55,800 --> 01:16:58,640
It costs money.
It costs money to not to not

1952
01:16:58,650 --> 01:17:01,010
spend a billion pounds less.
It's a lot of money, guys.

1953
01:17:01,100 --> 01:17:02,190
You felt it.
I know.

1954
01:17:02,200 --> 01:17:03,620
I know every teacher watching
this right now.

1955
01:17:03,690 --> 01:17:06,870
Well, if you've been teaching
for more than two years, you

1956
01:17:06,880 --> 01:17:10,690
probably know, yeah, even in my
time as a teacher, I have seen

1957
01:17:10,700 --> 01:17:12,470
those enrichment activities
disappear.

1958
01:17:12,580 --> 01:17:14,540
Unless you work at a school
who's really passionate about

1959
01:17:14,550 --> 01:17:17,050
these things and they and they
go out of their way to fight the

1960
01:17:17,060 --> 01:17:19,250
trend and and do it because I've
heard some schools do that.

1961
01:17:19,260 --> 01:17:21,680
But often they detriment.
Yeah, some of the things they

1962
01:17:21,690 --> 01:17:22,950
got something else they don't
have.

1963
01:17:22,960 --> 01:17:24,190
They don't really have the money
to do it.

1964
01:17:24,200 --> 01:17:25,460
They're finding the money in
different ways.

1965
01:17:25,470 --> 01:17:28,050
And it's just that's not how it
should be, you know, it should

1966
01:17:28,060 --> 01:17:30,310
be funded.
So there was there was basically

1967
01:17:30,320 --> 01:17:32,510
one finding in this committee.
We can finish on this because

1968
01:17:32,520 --> 01:17:36,560
which was it was this?
Goal, but I think to.

1969
01:17:36,570 --> 01:17:39,900
Summarise before we go into the
last one, it less finger

1970
01:17:39,910 --> 01:17:41,700
pointing.
Because even when it's the fault

1971
01:17:41,710 --> 01:17:44,420
of the parent, even when you
exhaust all options and they

1972
01:17:44,430 --> 01:17:46,480
just need to buck their ideas
up, get their children into

1973
01:17:46,490 --> 01:17:48,620
school, pointing the finger will
still do nothing.

1974
01:17:48,630 --> 01:17:51,890
Yeah, so it's a it's a it's a
process where there's going to

1975
01:17:51,900 --> 01:17:54,750
be lots of slow gains, hopefully
over the next few years.

1976
01:17:54,790 --> 01:17:57,760
But it's only going to happen.
Like with a lot of things in

1977
01:17:57,770 --> 01:18:00,960
education, if we stop pretending
that we can just put a plaster

1978
01:18:00,970 --> 01:18:02,860
over it, we can't put a blue
paper towel on it.

1979
01:18:02,870 --> 01:18:05,810
It's not going to fix itself.
It needs huge amounts of

1980
01:18:05,820 --> 01:18:07,510
funding.
And it this, this was just

1981
01:18:07,520 --> 01:18:09,550
hilarious to me because it's
gonna go into the wider context.

1982
01:18:09,560 --> 01:18:11,560
Now.
The biggest thing they said from

1983
01:18:11,570 --> 01:18:14,550
the committee that would have
the most impact on, you know,

1984
01:18:14,560 --> 01:18:17,090
combating low income families,
not getting their children to

1985
01:18:17,100 --> 01:18:19,770
school is to properly tackle
child poverty.

1986
01:18:19,880 --> 01:18:23,850
And the idea that after 14 years
of of Conservative government

1987
01:18:23,860 --> 01:18:27,470
austerity that, you know, the
the disparity is bigger than

1988
01:18:27,480 --> 01:18:29,670
ever.
And we have millions of children

1989
01:18:29,680 --> 01:18:31,890
in this country, the United
Kingdom.

1990
01:18:32,020 --> 01:18:36,310
We have millions of children.
Living in poverty is disgusting

1991
01:18:36,320 --> 01:18:39,290
to me.
I I I can't believe it's not the

1992
01:18:39,300 --> 01:18:40,840
number one thing that we're
sorting out.

1993
01:18:40,850 --> 01:18:46,490
Yeah, I don't care if you earn
80 or 100 grand or more a year

1994
01:18:46,560 --> 01:18:49,070
and you're scared that people
are gonna come for your taxes.

1995
01:18:49,160 --> 01:18:51,930
You need to get over yourself.
You need to go over yourself

1996
01:18:51,940 --> 01:18:55,050
because there are people living
on 12 grand a year maximum

1997
01:18:55,060 --> 01:18:57,080
spending, not sending their
children to school, not sending

1998
01:18:57,090 --> 01:18:58,260
their kids.
To school and that cycle is

1999
01:18:58,270 --> 01:18:59,650
going to continue because unless
we break.

2000
01:18:59,660 --> 01:19:01,420
That cycle, there's no social
mobility.

2001
01:19:01,500 --> 01:19:04,170
They're not gonna, we're gonna
just make them out to be the

2002
01:19:04,240 --> 01:19:07,030
villains of our society because
they're leeches and they're not

2003
01:19:07,040 --> 01:19:10,090
putting anything in this.
This cycle will go on forever.

2004
01:19:10,140 --> 01:19:13,840
No, these are very normal people
until you experience it and you

2005
01:19:13,850 --> 01:19:17,960
see it for what it is, which are
just children struggling and

2006
01:19:17,970 --> 01:19:21,540
parents struggling, single
parent sometimes on one income

2007
01:19:21,790 --> 01:19:25,140
who can't afford anything.
If you think the answer is the

2008
01:19:25,150 --> 01:19:28,710
point of them and blame them and
say he's ��80 fine, he's buck

2009
01:19:28,720 --> 01:19:31,280
your ideas up because that is
absolutely ridiculous to me.

2010
01:19:31,390 --> 01:19:33,060
You can serious over here.
It's ridiculous.

2011
01:19:33,070 --> 01:19:34,810
Thank you for listening.
Hope you enjoyed this episode

2012
01:19:34,820 --> 01:19:36,960
because it has been really fun.
It's really fun for us as well

2013
01:19:37,040 --> 01:19:38,220
just to get our teeth stuck
into.

2014
01:19:38,230 --> 01:19:41,110
This is certainly just the
research process of this episode

2015
01:19:41,120 --> 01:19:43,300
and talking about it has really
really changed my mindset and I

2016
01:19:43,310 --> 01:19:45,460
think I'll think twice the next
time.

2017
01:19:45,530 --> 01:19:48,000
A kid you know, persistently
absent of me being ohh for God's

2018
01:19:48,010 --> 01:19:49,140
sake, just get your kid in
school.

2019
01:19:49,150 --> 01:19:50,760
Do you know what?
There's there's twelve other

2020
01:19:50,770 --> 01:19:54,160
factors I should consider about
why this isn't happening and and

2021
01:19:54,170 --> 01:19:56,240
pointing the finger just isn't
isn't the answer.

2022
01:19:56,730 --> 01:19:57,650
Absolutely.
Adam.

2023
01:19:57,660 --> 01:19:59,380
Thank you guys.
Please do find us an.

2024
01:19:59,390 --> 01:20:02,520
Instagram teach St podcast and
if you got this far, surely

2025
01:20:02,530 --> 01:20:04,690
we'll have a bit of a review.
You know we don't do sponsor.

2026
01:20:04,700 --> 01:20:06,960
Maybe even a full review.
Yeah, maybe like like a five

2027
01:20:06,970 --> 01:20:08,580
stars on.
Spotify, but if you have.

2028
01:20:08,590 --> 01:20:11,870
Apple Apple Podcasts should be
really good if they give us a

2029
01:20:11,880 --> 01:20:13,350
fast overview and write a little
paragraph.

2030
01:20:13,360 --> 01:20:16,110
Unless they're toxic, healthy
ohh cause then we might get one.

2031
01:20:16,120 --> 01:20:20,470
Star that's happened before, so
we don't want that guys, thank

2032
01:20:20,480 --> 01:20:22,140
you so much for.
Listening, and this is

2033
01:20:22,150 --> 01:20:24,040
definitely something, as always,
that we'd love to hear your

2034
01:20:24,050 --> 01:20:25,490
thoughts on.
Let us know.

2035
01:20:25,500 --> 01:20:28,030
Find us on Instagram as always,
and see you next time.

2036
01:20:28,040 --> 01:20:28,490
Goodbye.