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Home > About childhood cancer > For teachers >Why is keeping up important?
Going to school is a normal part of life for children and young people. Learning is very rewarding and is important for their future. School is also the place where children and young people make friends, learn to get along with one another and to get along in the world.
To suddenly lose the secure routine of going to school and being with friends can be a very lonely experience and can add to the fear and worry caused by being in and out of hospital and facing an uncertain future.
If a pupil is able to keep up with their learning and their friends, it can help them to feel less scared and less alone.
And if the pupil still feels part of ‘normal’ life and has some structure and goals for the future, it can help them in the recovery process.
No two experiences are ever the same
Treatment for cancer can last a long time, so a child may be out of school for many months. When they return they may be different physically, which can be down to the side-effects of treatment such as hair loss or increased tiredness, or to longer-term effects such as being less able to grasp concepts and retain ideas, or having lost their eyesight or had a leg removed. They may also be different psychologically, for example they may have lost confidence or be less motivated than before.
Because every child’s experience is different, it is very important that a pupil with cancer gets individual tailored support, during all stages of their treatment.
As a teacher there is a huge amount you can do to help and support your pupil and their family, both during treatment and in the months and years to follow.
Updated April 2012, next planned review April 2014