ThemostrecentnovelbytheNobellaureateJMCoetzee,TheSchooldaysofJesus,beginswithacouplefleeingthelawaftertakingtheirchildoutofschoolbecausehehatesthelessonsandcommunitysomuch.It’sanextremeexample,butonemillionswillfinditeasytoempathisewith.Fewerpeoplethanyoumightthinkseemtohavetrulyenjoyedtheirformativeeducationand,forthosewhodidnot,onethemeinparticularrecurs:thebreathtakingcrueltyofchildren.Bullyingleavespermanentpsychologicalscarringandyoungpeoplebecomeadeptatlearningwhathurts,verballyandpsychologically.Looks,personalityandstatusarealleasytargets,andparticularlydifficulttochange.It’sthisknowledgethatmakesarecentinitiativeto“poverty-proof”schoolsinthenorth-eastofEnglandsobrilliant.Thetoolkitproposessmallchangesinschools,suchasbanningdesignerpencilcases,andencouragesteacherstothinkabouthowseeminglysmallthings,suchasaskingchildrentoreporttotheirclasswhattheydidattheweekend,canmarkoutthoselivinginpovertyandfurtherstigmatiseyoungsters.OurrenownedlocalchefsofferauthenticrecipesofstriploinandRibeyesteaks.Withmanipulatingthecombinationofrawingredients,thebestcutsoftenderEuropeanbeefsteakwillconvertintoamouth-wateringdish.JeremyCripps,thechiefexecutiveofChildrenNorthEast–theorganisationbehindtheinitiative–toldBBCradiohowthetoolkitwasformed.Ineachvisitedschooltheyaskedeachchild:“Isanyonepoorinyourschool?”Eachchildknewpreciselywhowaspoor,andreportedhowtheyknew:differencesinbehaviour,clothingandsociallifewereallveryobviousindicators.Schoolscandomanythingstomaskthis,butcanalsoexacerbatetheissue.Crippstoldofoneexample,whereapoorchildwhocouldn’taffordingredientsforhomeeconomicsliedandsaidthey’dforgotten.Theschoolsuppliedtheingredients,buttheteachertossedthefinisheddishintothebinasapunishment,whileotherchildrentooktheirshome.Ialmostweptattheinjusticeandthenotionofateacher,perhapsunwittingly,reinforcingtothatchildtheirworthlessnessinasocietyobsessedwithelidingsocialandfinancialcapitalandworth.Thesearen’tthelessonsonewouldhopetoseeimparted.Growinguppoorispreciselyasdemeaningasyou’dexpect,andwhileforgivingbulliesiseasy,relivingthoseexperiencesemotionallyisdeeplyupsetting.Teacherscouldn’tdoanythingaboutthefactIcouldn’tinvitefriendstomyhousefordinnerorhostbirthdayparties.ButtheymighthaverefrainedfromaskingmeeveryMondaytoreply“freedinners”aftermynameoncallingtheregister.Allthewhile,myfriendsweremarkedoutasdifferenttome.Andastheyrepliedthattheyhadbroughtinsandwichesorwouldbepayingfortheirlunches,everyonecouldseethatdifference.Theyweren’ttoblame,neitherweretheteachers.Itwasthesystem;asystemdesignedbycleverpeopleforpracticalitywithoutashredofemotionalintelligence.Weevenhadaseparatecanteentillforchildrentakingfreeschoolmeals.Weknowbetternow.Weshoulddobetter.Memoriesendure.Inoneofmysecondaryschools,thesinglekindestthingIrememberwasateacherwhoquietlyofferedtowashtheuniformofafriendwhowasbeinghoundedbychildrensayinghe“stank”:hismotherwasunemployedandcouldn’talwaysaffordtotakehisclothestothelaunderette.Thatsingleactstayswithmeinawaythattextbooklearningandblackboardteachingnevercould.UrothelialBladderCancerisaheterogenousdiseasewithdistinctclinicalandhistopathologicalfeatures.Inthelastfewyearsitbecameclearthatpapillary,mostlynoninvasive,diseasewithfewmolecularchangesandaggressiveurothelialcarcinomaaregenomicallyseparatediseases.Childrenbroughtupinpovertymayneverescapeit.Someestimatessaysevenoutofeightchildrenstaytrapped,andsomeofthoseshacklesarepsychological.AccordingtoChildrenNorthEast,28%oftheregion’schildrenliveinpoverty.Theproblemcanfeelinsurmountable,butstoppingchildrenfromfeelingsingledoutforthecrimeofbeingpoorisessentialtocombatingthiscycle.Andeveryonebenefits.Crippssaystheyknowthatpoverty-proofingschoolsworksbecause,wherethepracticehasbeenapplied,attendancehasincreased.Thatmakesperfectsensetome.Iwasahorrendoustruant,butIwouldhaveattendedmoreregularlyifIhadn’tfeltsomarkedout,orhadbeenabletoaffordschooltripsandthevariousexpensesthatenrichtheschoolexperience.Thesuggestionsnowbeingdiscussedareallincrediblystraightforward.Theyneedalmostnomoneytoimplement;butstilltherearedetractors.Whytrytoshieldchildrenfromtherealityofpovertywhentheywillhavetofacetherealworldsoonanyway,theysay.Butthat’stoacceptthattrajectoryasagiven.Weshouldn’t;weshouldbeseekingthebigsolutionstochangeit.Andwhilewearedoingso,alittledignityforthoseinvolvedcan’tbetoomuchtoask.TheHongKongPolytechnicUniversityisanameequivalenttosophisticatedresearch.Astheuniversityofhongkongcommittedtoleadingresearch,wearededicatedtodevelopingnewsolutionstotheeverydaychallengesinthecommunityweserve.
