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Friday 12th March 2021 • £2.40 • €2.70 Subscribers only pay £1.94 www.thecatholicuniverse.com Children’s futures at risk unless we act now Former Education Secretary calls for national drive to help youngsters make up for a lost academic year Nick Benson cation found that all year groups have With children back at school this week experienced a learning loss in reading: following almost a year of disruption between a month-and-a-half and two due to Covid-19 lockdowns, former months on average; and typically more Education Secretary Damian Hinds in maths. has called for a national effort to re- Even more worrying, the attainment build their futures. gap between wealthier students and Mr Hinds’ call comes amid concerns those from more limited financial over the loss of education children means had widened, after narrowing have suffered over the past 12 months, by as much as 10 per cent over the as well as the major impact it has had past decade. on their mental health. “This effect on education won’t be Young people have been uniquely made up in short order – it needs a impacted by the pandemic and lock- sustained approach,” he wrote in his Prayers down, with NHS research suggesting local constituency newspaper The Pe- one in six may now have a mental tersfield Post. health problem, up from one in nine Highlighting the impact of the pan- in 2017. demic on young people, he noted that for Alan Mr Hinds, a Catholic, stressed the it has formed “a significant part of importance of the nation coming to- their conscious lives to date”, leaving Pope Francis prays with Abdullah gether to support young people as them distanced from friends and with- Kurdi, the father of three-year old they attempt to catch-up in their stud- out structure and routine. Alan Kurdi whose body washed up on a Turkish beach in 2015, at the ies, with their return to the classroom The youngest children have seen conclusion of Mass in Irbil as part of “much more than a waypoint on a the development of social skills around the papal visit to Iraq. Kurdi lost his road map”. other children badly affected, while wife, Alan and another son in a “This is not just a cohort of children; older students have had key transi- shipwreck as the Syrian family was these are our children, the future of tional moments “blown off course” trying to reach Europe. our country,” he said. by the pandemic restrictions. FULL COVERAGE OF POPE’S VISIT Mr Hinds pointed out that a recent TO IRAQ: See from page 14 report for the Department for Edu- Continued on page 2 This week’s Companion £2.40 €2.70 Pre-sale clean: Don’t stop gardening - tips to help your David’s top tips home sell fast All about robins - Celebrate the history of Britain’s most loved traditional Irish music garden companion this St Patrick’s Day 02 For extra news go to www.thecatholicuniverse.com News Follow the Catholic Universe on twitter @ukcatholicpress Children’s Catholic Union warns Budget futures at risk unless could push families into debt edge in the autumn”. we act now Short-term retention of Chancellor Mr Parker also accused the Chan- £20 uplift in UC ‘kicks Rishi Sunak cellor of missing the opportunity to Continued from page 1 can down road’ but set out his vision for supporting fam- Citing the mental health effects of ilies in the wake of the pandemic. lockdown on children, he also noted doesn’t solve problems “Freezing personal allowances, the impact on physical health, with a The Catholic Union has warned that while making no commitment on lack of organised sport and natural Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget could child benefits or the continued un- daily activity. potentially create a “poverty cliff edge” fairness of the two-child cap on Uni- “We certainly can’t just cram our for families across the country. versal Credit and tax credits, risks way through this,” he warned, in an Nigel Parker, Catholic Union direc- forcing more children into poverty,” apparent response to suggestions from tor, said the Budget has “painted a he said. current Education Secretary Gavin picture of a country significantly worse However, he welcomed extra sup- Williamson that school days would off than a year ago” and many tough port for the homeless and victims of be lengthened and holidays cut. decisions will need to be made in the domestic abuse but criticised the de- “There are limits to how much you years ahead. cision to press ahead with cuts to the can lengthen days or terms – attention But when those decisions are made, foreign aid budget, branding it “re- spans have limits, and holidays are “those on the margins of society grettable”. important. But clearly there can be a should be the first to be helped and “Britain can and should be a force role for additional time,” he added, the last to be affected by efforts to for good in the world, which means citing the use of summer programmes. balance the books,” he said. leading by example and not turning Noting that “our brilliant teachers Mr Parker noted that while it is our back on some of the poorest peo- and heads” will lead this rebuild proj- right that the Chancellor does every- ple in the world when they most need thing possible to avoid unemploy- support,” he said. ment, there must be a “focus on good Caroline Abrahams, charity director ‘This is a shared jobs with fair pay”, so that people can at Age UK and co-chair of the Care national “find dignity in work”. and Support Alliance, expressed dis- endeavour in “The increase in the national living the furlough scheme and self-em- face when it is removed in September, appointment at no immediate or which everyone wage and more incentives for appren- ployed support comes to an end, risks at a time when unemployment is fore- longer-term support for social care, has a role.’ ticeships is a step in the right direction, creating a poverty cliff edge for families cast to increase. What’s more, people warning that older and disabled peo- but it’s disappointing that the Chan- across the country,” he warned. on most legacy benefits will continue ple, as well as their unpaid carers, cellor said nothing about our health Emma Revie, chief executive of the to miss out,” she said. may suffer further stress and strain if ect, he said the responsibility couldn’t and social care workers,” he said. Trussell Trust, described the six-month Alistair Cromwell, acting chief ex- there is an upsurge in closures of lie solely on the education system. On extending the £20 uplift in Uni- extension for the Universal Credit up- ecutive of Citizens Advice, echoed her smaller care companies in the coming “This is a shared national endeavour versal Credit and tax credits, Mr Parker lift as a “short-term fix”. sentiments, calling it “a stopgap” that months. Many had experienced “a in which everyone has a role.” said this was “welcome news”. How- It “does not address the serious “kicks the can down the road, only to tough year, which saw many of them He insisted that a national conver- ever, “ending this at the same time as hardship and uncertainty families will leave millions facing a financial cliff badly battered by the pandemic”. sation is needed, with all individuals and organisations getting involved. “Our national task will be not just for pupils to catch up on school work. Campaigner casts doubt over crime fund plan It’s to help children get back on track, to re-build opportunity, broaden hori- Nick Benson being drawn into violence. told The Catholic Universe. “brave enough” to admit these issues zons, and to get them back to enjoying Prominent Catholic peace campaigner While welcoming the funding, Mr “The issues run deep, from the great cannot be solved fully without creating their childhood…while also catching Barry Mizen said he is sceptical of Mizen, of The Mizen Foundation, financial rewards of drug supply, to honest, caring communities. up on school work, and re-narrowing what can be achieved by a new £130m questioned whether the funding was the uncontrolled anger that drives “One of the easiest ways of making the attainment gap. fund set up to tackle serious violence, a “genuine new venture” or “just a re- a difference is to pass on information, ‘Problem won’t be “Obviously we play a key role at murder and knife crime. hash” of previous attempts that failed solved just by whether about drug crime or domestic any time, as parents or as grandpar- Home Secretary Priti Patel an- to reach the intended outcome. Government and violence,” he said, anonymously ents. Teachers take this to another nounced the funding this week, with He said since his son Jimmy’s violent its money’ through Crimestoppers. level, sharing with families the re- £30 million to support police action murder some 13 years ago, “there have – Barry Mizen Mr Mizen said he would be “more sponsibility for bringing on the next in the parts of England and Wales been many intervention programmes, impressed by the funding if it “in- generation. But the old words of wis- most affected by serious violence. It all promising similar outcomes”. domestic violence. Until we fully ac- cluded a plea to the rest of us to help, dom are instructive: ‘it takes a village also includes up to £23 million for “Yet here we are again with a prom- cept and understand these reasons, rather then give the false hope that to raise a child’.

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