Teachers fear exam results are prioritised over pupils wellbeing
Over 80% of teachers say exam results are seen as more important.
Teachers in the North East are warning of a mental health crisis in the classroom, in what's claimed to be a country obsessed with results.
The Government is being urged to tackle what has been described by mental health charity YoungMinds as a crisis in North East classrooms.
Most parents think schools have a duty to provide support for students' mental health, a survey by the organisation suggested.
Theresa May is being urged to redress the “fundamentally unbalanced” education system.
Pupils' wellbeing should be considered as important as academic achievement; the charity has told the Prime Minister in an open letter.
They’ve called for ‘proper’ funding of wellbeing initiatives, better recognition for schools which do good work on the issue, and specific mental health training for teachers.
YoungMinds said 82% of teachers agreed that the focus on exams has become disproportionate to students' wellbeing.
A separate survey suggested 92% of parents feel schools should support the mental health of students, and three-quarters would choose a school their child is happy in even if previous results were not good.
Sarah Brennan, chief executive of YoungMinds, said:
“There is a mental health crisis in our classrooms.
“Children and young people today face a huge range of pressures, from exam stress to cyberbullying to finding a job when they finish education, and all the evidence suggests that the situation is getting worse.
“If the Government is serious about tackling the crisis, it must rebalance the whole education system.”
Dr Bernard Trafford, Headteacher at Newcastle Royal Grammar School, said:
“The whole country is pretty results obsessed… I’m sure heads, school leaders and teachers all believe in education being something wider but what do you do when you’re under that pressure?
“Education isn’t just about qualifications. More to the point, confident happy rounded people will do better in exams so we need to concentrate on making children happy and confident.”
For help and support visit: http://www.youngminds.org.uk/