Sick Kids to be in a class of its own with cutting edge school

Published on Tuesday 31 March 2009 09:44

A SCHOOL with top-of-the-range IT facilities will be created at the new Sick Kids hospital when it opens at Little France.

The facility is the latest to be announced for the hospital and will mean even long-term patients will not be disadvantaged educationally.

Youngsters well enough to leave their beds will gather in a classroom equipped with the best facilities and it is expected that IT packages will allow them to liaise directly with their own school and continue their work.

Those children who cannot leave their beds will be given laptops and electronic white boards to use, which will help provide a more interactive learning experience than books and a pad of paper.

It is a significant development for the 150 million hospital, which will open in 2012, and comes a little over a week after it emerged a free hotel for families of patients would also be created on the site next to the ERI.

City charity Trefoil has been brought on board to oversee the project, with some of the funds for the scheme coming from the 15m Evening News-backed New Pyjamas appeal.

Trefoil chief executive David McArthur said: "There is a genuine need to provide ongoing education for children in the hospital. Continuity is important while they are in hospital and for when they return to school.

"The aim is to normalise the learning experience, which we can never do entirely because it is an artificial environment. But getting those who can leave their beds to gather in a classroom with a teacher is really important, for the social aspect of school as well as the educational."

As it stands, youngsters are able to sit and study for exams by arrangement in the hospital, but there is nothing approaching a day-to-day schooling facility.

With the provision of internet facilities, both the New Pyjamas campaign and Trefoil hope it will make patients feel less isolated and allow them to keep in touch with friends.

Elaine McGonigle, director of the New Pyjamas campaign, said: "The new Sick Kids aims to provide as close to a home from home environment as is possible for all children and young people who will be treated there. This includes the provision of a dedicated schoolroom where patients will be able to keep up with their school work, particularly at exam time.

"By making it possible for patients to keep up with their friends at school, the study environment will reduce the stress on patients and so improve their recovery. It will also benefit children and young people to get out of the clinical environment of the wards and into one which is conducive to learning."

New Pyjamas wants to raise money over four years to provide equipment and research over and above standard NHS budgets.