The House of Commons Education and Health Committees published a joint report into the role of education in supporting the mental health of children and young people (external link). The Committees received evidence from mental health experts, researchers, academics and education providers.
The reports outlines that despite a growing prevalence of mental ill-health in young people, education providers are having to scale back on time and resources that promote pupil well-being. The report also finds that an increasing number of education providers are having to restrict access to mental health services, such as in-school counsellors, owing to financial pressures. The committees made 13 recommendations, including:
- for the next government to return to the issues of the inquiry, publish a Green Paper and uphold compulsory status of PSHE;
- for school leaders to develop a whole-school approach to well-being which should be embedded across the curriculum;
- that sufficient prominence be given to personal development and well-being criteria in the Ofsted inspection framework;
- the government should build on the inclusion of mental health training in initial teacher training and extend it to current teachers;
- the government should review the effect of budget reductions on the provision of mental health support services;
- schools to include education on the risks of social media as part of PSHE.