We do not really know how seriously ill or injured kids feel about missing school and for many reasons it is complicated for them to tell us. But we need to try harder to listen. MissingSchool was asked to present vignettes of kids’ voices to the Linking Up For Kids Conference. MissingSchool devised a “vignettes” project called Listen here! so that kids’ voices could be present during the Linking Up for Kids Conference welcoming session.Listen here! adopted a simple Post-it® Notes-plus approach designed to capture the feeling and thinking words (or pictures) that sick kids associate with missing school. The contribution from kids (via the collaborating organisations noted below) were collected, pooled, randomly collated and presented in a video storyboard at the Conference. The kids’ contributions are now being designed into colourful posters for display on the premises of collaborating organisations.
Listen Here! video is available here.
Almost 100 kids participated in Listen Here! with the support of organisations through which they receive care.
MissingSchool thanks:
- Hospital Education Services, South Australia
- Mater Hospital Special School, Queensland
- Paediatrics at the Canberra Hospital, Australian Capital Territory
- Ronald McDonald House Charities (NSW, SA and WA)
- Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute, Victoria
- School of Special Education Needs, Western Australia
- The Children’s Hospital School, Westmead, New South Wales
In the coming year, MissingSchool will analyse the thoughts and feelings given by the kids and will use the materil to advocate for their rights and needs to be met.
