Reader’s letter This is a debate entry, written by an external contributor. The post expresses the writer’s views.
Last week I received a phone call from my son’s teacher at Hunstad primary school. She had noticed that his demeanor and commitment had changed lately.
The boy who was always helpful and engaged was no longer interested in participating in activities at school or standing up to help others in the class.
The teacher had a conversation alone with our boy to try to understand what is happening or has changed for him. What she uncovered was a tale of fear and uncertainty, woven into the innocent heart of a child.
My son, who was always smiling, kind and full of life, was now struggling with a multitude of worries – he was afraid of the future.
He wouldn’t say goodbye to his friends, and what would happen to all the adults who work at the school? Would they also move? He also has another friend, at Alstad, both play for the same football club, he is also in 2nd grade and he felt the same as our son. They had been to a soccer practice and had talked about it.
It occurred to me then that our children are not immune to the upheavals in the adult world. They also bear the burden of our decisions, the consequences of our actions and the uncertainty of tomorrow.
To you honorable members of the school administration and local board: I implore you to listen to the silent cries of our children, to recognize the seriousness of their fears, and to recognize the impact that your decisions have on the innocent.
As the shadow of closure hangs over our schools, it casts a shadow of uncertainty over our community.
For our children, in particular, the implications are great – the loss of belonging gives children what in the simple world of adults is interpreted as behavioral problems, but which is actually a rebellion against a sense of injustice.
I pray that your children and grandchildren never experience these feelings of insecurity and uncertainty about what the future holds.
Because this will shape how they see the world. And I don’t wish that feeling on anyone.
