EXCLUSION FROM SCHOOL IS A MAJOR INEQUALITY FACTOR WHICH CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE OVERLOOKED URGES SAMARITANS CYMRU

Samaritans Cymru has today (01/08/19) released a new report on the causes and damaging effects exclusion from school in Wales can have on children and young people. The report, titled ‘Exclusion from education in Wales: The hidden cost’, highlights school exclusion’s connection to a cycle of inequality and the urgency of addressing the issue due to its link to suicide risk.

The report and considerations are based on engagement with representatives from schools, local government, the health service, third sector organisations, universities and Welsh Commissioners through a roundtable event earlier this year. The issue of exclusion from education in Wales had previously been raised in Samaritans Cymru’s report on poverty and suicide in 2018. This report stated that there is a strong connection between socioeconomic deprivation and suicidal behaviour and highlighted that exclusion from education should be scrutinised further due to its impact on loneliness and social isolation for children and young people, particularly in areas of deprivation. Their new report once again highlights poverty as a key cause and consequence for exclusion across Wales.

Samaritans Cymru has highlighted the 51% rise since 2015/16 in pupils permanently excluded from schools in Wales and set out their key findings on the main causes behind the use of exclusion based on their engagement. Poverty, poor mental health, additional learning needs (ALN) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were all identified as some of the main causes with inequality being the overarching theme and cause.

They highlighted that exclusion from education is a significant issue which is linked to a wide range of factors and consequences that cam increase the risk of suicide, such as poverty, loneliness and social isolation, alcohol and substance misuse, poor mental health, homelessness and the criminal justice system.

Sarah Stone, Executive Director for Wales said –

“The striking and overarching theme of our engagement on this topic is that exclusion from education is a major inequality issue. Whether we look at the cause or causes at one end of the scale, or the consequences at the other, the links between inequality and exclusion are concerning and prominent. Investment in being able to identify and help those at risk of experiencing exclusion is urgently needed.”

“In Wales, we work to reduce the number of people who die by suicide. Much of the work needed to achieve this is rooted in prevention and reaching high-risk groups early on. If you’re out of school, you can be out of your only source of support and community. We need to protect children and young people from actions which can negatively affect their future lives”

Samaritans Cymru have set out nine points of consideration which they believe could help reduce the use of exclusion in Wales. Most prominently, they have urged Welsh Government, educational leaders and staff, the health and social care sector and wider support agencies to recognise this link between exclusion and inequality.

Based on the findings, they have once again called on Welsh Government to set out a Wales Poverty Strategy. Poverty in Wales affects education, health, social mobility, child development and life expectancy. Most significantly they say, poverty can increase the risk of suicide.

Samaritans Cymru have called for a centralised strategy for poverty which promotes cross-governmental and cross sectoral involvement. They continue to believe this is imperative for such a major public health issue, which interacts with a complex range of co-existing factors including educational disadvantage and exclusion. In Wales, they believe we need a strategy which addresses the impact of poverty on individuals and communities and sits alongside economic strategies. In terms of school exclusion specifically, they state that a strategy of this kind could work to implement a preventative approach to reducing high rates amongst those pupils who are most deprived who continue to account for a high percentage of the cohort of those excluded.

Samaritans Cymru hope this report will contribute to this much needed debate and stimulate further thinking, understanding and action.

Dr Rachel Evans, Clinical Psychologist and member of Psychologists for Social Change said –

“We, Psychologists for Social Change South Wales, thank Samaritans Cymru for bringing this issue to the public’s and policy maker’s attention. From a psychological perspective, it is “normal” for children and young people’s behaviour to fluctuate and this is especially true when circumstances are difficult.

When children are displaying distress through behaviours which others find difficult to manage, the response needed is one of compassion and understanding from those around them. Children and young people rely on adult relationships to support them emotionally. The opposite to this is to dismiss them with exclusion from the school or within the school (through restrictive practises such as time out, being placed in “ready to learn” or other isolation methods). There are always understandable reasons for children and young people’s emotional and behavioural upset and excluding them is at best ineffective in resolving issues and at worse perpetuating and deepening distress as this report points out.”

MAE GWAHARDD UNIGOLION O YSGOLION YN FAES ANGHYDRADDOLDEB NA ELLIR EI ANWYBYDDU MWYACH MEDD SAMARIAID CYM

Heddiw (01/08/19) mae Samariaid Cymru wedi cyhoeddi adroddiad newydd ar achosion gwahardd unigolion o ysgolion yng Nghymru a’r effeithiau niweidiol y gall eu cael ar blant a phobl ifanc. Mae’r adroddiad, o dan y teitl ‘Gwahardd unigolion o ysgolion yng Nghymru: Y gost gudd’, yn tynnu sylw at y cysylltiad rhwng gwahardd unigolion o ysgolion a chylch anghydraddoldeb a’r angen taer i fynd i’r afael â’r broblem oherwydd ei chysylltiad â risg hunanladdiad.

Mae’r adroddiad a’r ystyriaethau wedi’u seilio ar waith ymgysylltu â chynrychiolwyr o ysgolion, llywodraeth leol, y gwasanaeth iechyd, sefydliadau yn y trydydd sector, prifysgolion a Chomisiynwyr Cymru drwy ddigwyddiad bord gron yn gynharach eleni. Codwyd mater gwahardd unigolion o addysg yng Nghymru o’r blaen yn adroddiad Samariaid Cymru ar dlodi a hunanladdiad yn 2018. Dywedodd yr adroddiad hwnnw fod yna gysylltiad cryf rhwng amddifadedd economaidd gymdeithasol ac ymddygiad hunanladdol a nododd y dylid craffu ymhellach ar wahardd unigolion o addysg oherwydd ei effaith ar unigedd ac arwahaniad cymdeithasol ymysg plant a phobl ifanc, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd difreintiedig. Mae’r adroddiad newydd yn tynnu sylw unwaith eto at dlodi fel un o brif achosion gwahardd unigolion o addysg, a chanlyniad o bwys iddo, ar draws Cymru.

Mae Samariaid Cymru wedi tynnu sylw at y 51% o gynnydd ers 2015/16 yn nifer y disgyblion sy’n cael eu gwahardd yn barhaol o ysgolion yng Nghymru ac yn nodi eu prif ganfyddiadau o ran prif achosion y defnydd o wahardd unigolion, ar sail eu gwaith ymgysylltu. Nodwyd mai tlodi, iechyd meddwl gwael, anghenion dysgu ychwanegol (ADY) a phrofiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod yw rhai o’r prif achosion, ac mai anghydraddoldeb yw’r thema ac achos trosfwaol.

Nodasant fod gwahardd unigolion o addysg yn broblem sylweddol sy’n gysylltiedig ag amrywiaeth fawr o ffactorau a chanlyniadau a all gynyddu risg hunanladdiad, fel tlodi, unigedd ac arwahaniad cymdeithasol, camddefnyddio alcohol a sylweddau, iechyd meddwl gwael, digartrefedd a chysylltiad â’r system cyfiawnder troseddol.

Dywedodd Sarah Stone, Cyfarwyddwr Gweithredol Cymru –

“Thema drawiadol a throsfwaol ein gwaith ymgysylltu ar y pwnc hwn yw bod gwahardd unigolion o addysg yn fater o bwys mewn perthynas ag anghydraddoldeb. Pa un ydym ni’n edrych ar yr achos neu’r achosion ar y naill ben, neu’r canlyniadau ar y pen arall, mae’r cysylltiadau rhwng anghydraddoldeb a gwahardd unigolion o addysg yn destun pryder ac yn amlwg. Mae angen buddsoddi ar fyrder mewn gallu adnabod a helpu’r rheiny sydd mewn perygl o gael eu gwahardd o addysg.

“Yng Nghymru, rydym ni’n gweithio i leihau nifer y bobl sy’n marw trwy hunanladdiad. Mae llawer o’r gwaith mae ei angen i gyflawni hyn wedi’i wreiddio mewn atal a chyrraedd grwpiau risg uchel yn gynnar. Os nad ydych chi yn yr ysgol, gallwch fod i ffwrdd o’r unig ffynhonnell cymorth a chymuned sydd gennych. Mae angen inni amddiffyn plant a phobl ifanc rhag gweithredoedd a all gael effaith negyddol ar eu bywydau yn y dyfodol.”

Mae Samariaid Cymru wedi nodi naw pwynt i’w hystyried y credant y gallent helpu i leihau’r defnydd o wahardd unigolion o addysg yng Nghymru. Yn fwyaf amlwg, maent wedi pwyso ar Lywodraeth Cymru, arweinwyr a staff addysg, y sector iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol ac asiantaethau cymorth ehangach i gydnabod y cysylltiad hwn rhwng gwahardd unigolion o addysgac anghydraddoldeb.

Ar sail y canfyddiadau, maent wedi galw unwaith eto ar Lywodraeth Cymru i lunio Strategaeth Tlodi i Gymru. Mae tlodi yng Nghymru’n effeithio ar addysg, iechyd, symudedd cymdeithasol, datblygiad plant a disgwyliad oes. Yn fwyaf arwyddocaol, meddant, gall tlodi gynyddu risg hunanladdiad.

Mae Samariaid Cymru wedi galw am strategaeth ganolog ar gyfer tlodi sy’n hybu ymwneud trawslywodraethol a thraws-sectorol. Maent yn dal i gredu fod hyn yn hanfodol ar gyfer problem mor fawr ym maes iechyd y cyhoedd sy’n rhyngweithio ag ystod gymhleth o ffactorau sy’n cyd-fodoli gan gynnwys anfantais addysgol a gwahardd unigolion o addysg. Maent yn credu bod arnom ni yng Nghymru angen strategaeth sy’n mynd i’r afael ag effaith tlodi ar unigolion a chymunedau ac sy’n cyd-fynd â strategaethau economaidd. Yn nhermau gwahardd unigolion o ysgolion yn benodol, dywedant y gallai strategaeth o’r math hwn weithio i weithredu dull ataliol o leihau cyfraddau uchel ymysg y disgyblion sy’n fwyaf difreintiedig, sy’n dal i fod yn ganran fawr o’r rheiny sy’n cael eu gwahardd.

Mae Samariaid Cymru’n gobeithio y bydd yr adroddiad hwn yn cyfrannu at y drafodaeth hon, y mae mawr ei hangen, ac yn ysgogi rhagor o feddwl, deall a gweithredu.

Dywedodd Dr Rachel Evans, Seicolegydd Clinigol ac aelod o Seicolegwyr dros Newid Cymdeithasol –

“Rydym ni, Seicolegwyr dros Newid Cymdeithasol – De Cymru, yn diolch i Samariaid Cymru am ddod â’r mater hwn i sylw’r cyhoedd a gwneuthurwyr polisi. O safbwynt seicolegol, mae’n “normal” i ymddygiad plant a phobl ifanc amrywio ac mae hyn yn arbennig o wir pan fo amgylchiadau’n anodd.

Pan fo plant yn arddangos trallod trwy ymddygiad mae eraill yn ei chael yn anodd ei reoli, yr ymateb mae ei angen yw tosturi a dealltwriaeth oddi wrth y bobl o’u cwmpas. Mae plant a phobl ifanc yn dibynnu ar gydberthnasau oedolion i’w cynorthwyo’n emosiynol. Y gwrthwyneb i hyn yw eu hanfon ymaith trwy eu gwahardd o’r ysgol neu y tu mewn i’r ysgol (trwy arferion cyfyngol fel “seibiant”, sesiynau “parod i ddysgu” neu ddulliau neilltuo eraill). Mae rhesymau dealladwy bob amser dros ypsét emosiynol ac ymddygiadol plant a phobl ifanc ac ar y gorau mae eu gwahardd o addysg yn aneffeithiol wrth ddatrys problemau, ac ar y gwaethaf mae’n parhau trallod yn ddiddiwedd ac yn ei waethygu, fel mae’r adroddiad hwn yn nodi.”