By Anjali G, Volunteer

At Bristol Women’s Voice’s International Women’s Day event 2026, the panel “Mothering in Difficult Times: Increasing School Exclusions, Decreasing SEND Support” brought together mothers, educators and community voices to discuss the challenges families face within the education system today. Chaired by Priyanka Raval from The Bristol Cable, the panel included Cllr. Christine Townsend from Bristol City Council, Imrana Bashir from Redfield Educate Together, SENCO Lana Crosbie and activist Shanine Wright. 

The discussion opened with reflections on what “difficult times” mean for mothers and families. Christine Townsend noted that these challenges exist at several levels. They can be personal and family-related, but they are also shaped by wider social and economic pressures. She reflected on how many young people are growing up in a period of uncertainty that can make it harder to imagine a stable future. 

Several panellists then shared their lived experiences of navigating the education system while raising children. Imrana Bashir described how difficult it can be for parents to understand how the system works and where to find support. Advocating for a child, especially when additional needs are involved, can place a heavy burden on families. She explained that constantly pushing institutions for support can become exhausting and can sometimes take away the simple joy of parenting. 

Shanine Wright spoke about becoming a young mother while also dealing with the grief of losing a close family member. Her experience of approaching her children’s school for help during this period of grief, and finding that the school had not begun any supportive measures for the children, even after being aware of the situation, highlighted the gaps families can encounter when seeking support from educational institutions.  

Lana Crosbie, speaking from her experience as a SENCO, highlighted the rise in school exclusions and the lack of resources available in schools to properly support children. Drawing on her own experience as a mother and a Black woman working within the system, she spoke about the hidden load of advocating for students while navigating these realities herself. Crosbie also pointed to the shortage of support staff in many schools, where a single person is often expected to carry out several different responsibilities. She further noted the influence of harmful online trends, including those circulating on platforms such as TikTok, which can shape behaviour and social dynamics among students in ways that schools are still struggling to address. 

Concerns were also raised about the growing criminalisation of children within schools. Panellists shared examples of police presence in educational settings and situations where behaviour challenges were escalated through punitive responses rather than being addressed through restorative conversations with families and communities. Policies such as isolation booths and strict zero tolerance approaches were also questioned, with panellists suggesting that these measures can overlook the deeper reasons behind a child’s behaviour. The discussion also touched on a concept often described as the school-to-prison pipeline, where exclusion from school can isolate young people and increase their vulnerability to further harm. 

During the audience discussion, one participant shared the feeling that teachers today often seem unable to show care and compassion because disciplinary systems dominate how problems are handled. Panellists agreed that children benefit most when they have trusted adults who understand their circumstances and can offer genuine support. As one panellist put it, schools need more people-centred approaches and more people-minded individuals working with young people. 

The panel concluded with reflections on what meaningful change might look like. Panellists called for stronger funding in education, greater recognition of the pressures families face and structural change within the system itself. As one reflection captured, if the structure does not permit change, then the structure itself must change. Ultimately, the conversation returned to a simple reminder that raising children has never been the responsibility of one person alone. It takes a village to raise a child.