In praise of the Bailiwick’s young people

After months of life as pretty much normal within our Bailiwick bubble, albeit limited travel, a return to strict pandemic restrictions and essential-only travel has been a shock.

Not just for adults but for our young people too. From primary children used to heading through the school gates every day at the start of their educational journey to those at secondary school preparing for critical exams and university students supposed to be enjoying their studies.

Plans, dreams, hopes have been disrupted.

Schools too have been at the epicentre of the current outbreak – with young people, their friends, families and teachers, on the Covid-19 frontline.

All the while, the immediate outlook remains unclear as to when those plans, dreams and hopes no longer have to be paused. It may unfortunately also come to pass that they may be dashed permanently with the medium and long-term impact of the pandemic on young people yet to be fully understood.

Amid the disruption, the uncertain future, they have joined the community in taking on the virus. Our young people deserve a clap. They really do.

We all need a cheer-up sometimes, and we mustn’t forget that means the young as much as the old.

Mums, dads and care-givers all deserve a cheer, as do the understanding employers who appreciate it’s a juggle for their teams. So do the teachers and wider school staff doing their best to support their students, not least with the provision of school this week to vulnerable children and those of essential workers who provide critical services but have no childcare options at home.

Alongside the praise, it’s important to emphasise there is help available for young people finding it tough going and that it’s OK not to be OK.

Better days will come again.

Providing the tools and means for schools and their families to support the next generation is critical as well. So too, is strategic thinking about how to maximise their life chances and prospects in a pandemic-transformed world.

It’s the least we can do for this great new generation.