By Victoria Mckeown-
The Department Of Education has the unenviable task of effectively managing the government’s £17m injection fund for schools and colleges, to improve young people’s mental health and wellbeing is a much needed boost for the education sector.
The funding to address mental health in schools is quite necessary, but a different challenge is presented in terms of how the money is used effectively to achieve its purpose.
Mental health issues are broad with different causes and extents, requiring various skills and expertise. Identifying the different types of mental health issues in schools could be a mammoth task of its own.
The Eye Of Media .Com has over many months spoken with school pupils and parents, locating them from tutor groups, schools, and contacts from family and friends, as part of a wider research to identify the various problems faced by teacher, parents, and pupils alike.
Mental health in schools are more of a problem than publicly acknowledged. They range from pupils suffering the long term mental scars from sexual abuse(either from extended family members or former partners), domestic violence at home, low self esteem, and rejection from their absentee fathers. They include bullying at home, in school, or both.
Many of these issues affect their behaviour in school, without the source of their problems spotted in most cases.
The extra stress caused by national lockdowns from the pandemic worsened the mental health of many students, but in some cases may have improved them.
School staff and pupils across the UK need the best support for their students and pupil’s post-pandemic, and with huge sums from the government available to address the issue, it is crucial that the government identifies how to direct funds appropriately to address these problems.
The idea of giving forms out to students to fill out anonymously, was discussed by researchers exploring how best to identify the different types of mental health affecting pupils in UK schools.
There isn’t much known research around the vastly different family dynamics of many pupils that affect the mental state of pupils on a daily basis, the full dose of which is sometimes displayed in school.
Background Of Substance Abuse
Children from backgrounds of substance abuse like drugs or alcohol, in many cases are not shown enough support or love by parents who spend most of their money financing their habits. Social services get involved in many cases to save children from the irresponsible parents, but some parents skilled at hiding their irresponsible lifestyle from the attention of social services.
Children get very angry when they see the adults who should be protecting their interests, waste their lives on alcohol and drugs. Their anger is amplified when their parents can’t get them what they want because they prioritise their money or substance abuse. In many cases, children copy the adults and many times, their bad character too.
Many children also grow up in family environments where excessive shouting and conflict takes place. Growing up with parents suffering from mental health issues is a big problem that affects many children.
They are constantly surrounded by aggression and violence, and in many cases, this exists alongside many other issues. Therapy and a wide range of other services is necessary to help these children and their parents confront their mental health issues.
Mental health analyst and researcher, Deon Vernhoven told this publication: ” It is very important that the government is aware how broad mental health issues is in schools. It is a reflection of society, and we must remember that one in four people suffer from mental health issues at some level.
Now, if you have different types of mental health issues being manifested in school children, it is difficult to successfully apply discipline when the root problem remains unaddressed.
If the government is putting in s much money to address mental health issues, they should be applauded for it. But of far greater importance is for the money to be used strategically and thoroughly to confront and beat mental health in our midst”.
Rise In Mental Health Issues
The past year has seen a significant rise in mental health concerns in young people. The results of a survey by ONS reported one in six children aged 6 to 16years were classed as having a probable mental disorder… a stark increase to one in nine children being identified in 2017.
This is not surprising given the role changing household circumstances played throughout the pandemic. With more parents working from home, parents working hours increasing, and family incomes dropping as a result of the furlough scheme and redundancies.
The NSPCC reported that when parents are overloaded with these burdens then it is the children that are more likely to suffer abuse. Not only abuse within the home but online abuse, criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation.
A shift in the regular daily routine of parents was a great cause of anxiety as well as having to cope with school and college work.
This was especially so with those children with no access to laptops to work from. Despite the governments plan to distribute 800000 laptops to disadvantaged children OFCOM have reported that over 1.2million families do not have access to a laptop or similar device at home.
Children and Families Minister Vicky Ford said:
“The past year has been incredibly difficult for so many children and young people whose resilience in the face of so much change has been heroic . Staff have been working so hard to support their pupils so I’m thrilled to be able to reassure them that we’re increasing funding, specialist support and training materials for expert care – building on the success of Wellbeing for Education Return and ensuring that the help is there for the children who need it.” Minister for Mental Health, Nadine Dorries, said:
“Our children and young people have faced unique challenges over the course of this very difficult and unsettling pandemic, and while they have shown great resilience, I recognise the need for additional support. “It is essential that children and young people can access the support they need and this extra funding further cements our commitment to their wellbeing, equipping them with the tools to look after their mental health”.
The Department Of Education was contacted for comment in relation to how government funding of £17m will be directed at combatting mental health in UK schools.