By Ali Haines
This year’s President of the National National Association of Funeral Directors* (NAFD), John Adams, is spearheading a campaign to see bereavement awareness added to the national curriculum with a petition to the UK Government and Parliament.
John is a fourth-generation director of family funeral firm Perry and Phillips, based in Shropshire, and has personal experience of childhood bereavement. Speaking about why he launched the campaign, John said,
"From the loss of my own Mum, Maria, at the age of 12, I really believe this could be helpful for so many people as 80 per cent of the population will suffer a close loss before the age of 18. It could be a huge aid in providing support to young individuals that lose a loved one, as well as providing their peers with some understanding of what they may be going through."
The petition states that schools should be required to provide age-appropriate education to help children understand death as a part of life, as part of compulsory Relationships education. On average 111 children in the UK lose a parent every day.
The petition has attracted over 10,000 signatures (currently almost 10,200), the threshold at which the Government must give a response. At 100,000 signatures, petitions are considered for debate in Parliament.
John strongly believes more could be done in schools to prepare children in case the worst happens:
"It's about showing people going through a loss that they're not on their own, and it's about helping to instil some compassion and empathy into classrooms across the UK; helping teachers… and also about giving tools to young people."
You can read more and sign the petition by clicking on this link.
*The NAFD provides support and guidance to funeral firms and the bereaved families in their care. It is the largest representative association for the funeral industry in the UK, with more than 4,100 members.
