麻豆社

Good Morning

All the very best to everyone receiving their A Levels results this morning. It鈥檚 been a roller coaster ride for this cohort of teenagers who have had a more difficult time than previous years to get the highest grades.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children鈥檚 commissioner, said the national COVID Inquiry should be listening now, rather than in 2025, to the experiences of these young people. They have, she said, borne the brunt of the lockdowns. Figures released this week show that in May there were just under half a million open referrals to children and young people鈥檚 mental health services in England. The mental health charity YoungMinds said the system was broken.

I work with several different groups of sixth formers. Last month, at the end of the school year, I interviewed a group of students in a church service who had just completed their A Levels. Some referred to overcoming the hurdles COVID had posed. Others said they needed time out to consider their next move. Each stressed the value they placed on friendship with each other and the support of families and teachers. They were great. Each of them. Upbeat, positive, articulate.

The idea of one generation supporting the next is a feature of many of the ancient communities depicted in the Hebrew scriptures. 鈥淢ake your story known to your children and your children鈥檚 children鈥� writes the author of Deuteronomy whilst Psalm 145, typical of much wisdom literature, talks of one generation commending the works of God to another and retelling the story, making sure it is passed on. It鈥檚 not just the young learning from the old. It鈥檚 the other way round too! It works both ways.

We have a lot to learn from this generation of students. I don鈥檛 believe they want our sympathy. But they do want us to listen. To know how they feel. Many of them are more spiritually aware than we think. The digital world sometimes exacerbates rather than eases their isolation. They have real concerns about the environment. About the future of the planet. So, we listen to each other and respond appropriately.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers joined Pope Francis a few days ago in Portugal for World Youth Day. Hanging on his every word, his advice to them was not to be afraid and to realise their dreams. I鈥檓 sure he took some time out to listen to their voices as he urged them, listening to each other, to work for peace and justice.

Show less