A row has broken out over the rise in diagnosed mental health issues, as it is found that one in four students sitting GCSE and A-Level exams this summer had extra time provided for them.
Broadcaster Clare Muldoon, and Forecaster and Author, James Woudhuysen joined Stephen Dixon and Anne Diamond on GB News to discuss the new findings.
Clare began: “This is actually quite worrying that students are aiming for the letter, the letter of diagnosis that says they've got a mental impairment, i.e. ADHD, that would then make their exams last longer than they would normally so they have more time.
“Let's face it, if you're at Cambridge, you're a jolly clever fellow. I wouldn't have thought for one minute that you would need an extra minute in exams at all. They're so well versed. They're so well read. The statistics prove that if you're an Oxbridge graduate, you're more likely to be employed.
Clare Muldoon (right) hit out at students for claiming extra time on exams
PA / GB News
“Why, oh why is Gen. Z spilling out of their oat milk from their coffee wanting more time to sit exams? I'm sorry. It's a disgrace.”
Stephen chimed in, saying, “I have some sympathy for your view. I do. But as we've quite recently had someone in the family diagnosed with ADHD and a high performer ADHD, so clever and getting on with it and passing exams and all the rest of it. And it's not until you go through this you realise actually how much they actually have been struggling.”
Clare argued that “Life is a struggle. We all struggle with something.”
Stephen disagreed: “I think this is different when it can be very debilitating.”
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ADHD is known to affect people's attention, activity and impulsivity.PexelsClare clarified that her issue was with the ‘rise’ in cases. James Woudhuysen weighed in: “I think that's right. Claire. You know the the individual case, Steven, there's there's no discussion needed.
“It's also unquestionably not just the students fault. Although, you know, we all love Cambridge, don't we?
“The educators, the mental health establishment, the NHS bureaucracy. I'm afraid Prince William and nearly everybody in the Royal Family has completely industrialised mental health issues. If you're not suffering from it, you're a bit odd, you know.”
Anne Diamond voiced her uncertainty with this sentiment: “Yeah, but there was a need to discuss it and talk about it.”
GCSE top grades this year were down from last year but remain above pre-pandemic levels
PAJames came back, “But you know, the substance has outrun the form. It is an epidemic.
“The establishment has a big responsibility for this epidemic”
“But society also bears the brunt of dealing with this,” said Clare.
Stephen closed out the conversation, saying “Well, yeah, I'd sort of agree, but I also think you need to look at the individual cases as well.”