The past few years has seen Great Britain melt under the mental health epidemic. Depression has risen, anxiety has risen and, as a consequence, more and more young people are choosing to end their own lives, failed by the system and made to believe that they have no future. CAMHS, the organisation meant to be the lighthouse for young people, has become notorious for its waiting lists and embarrassingly inadequate support whilst the burden on teachers has risen to unsustainable levels. In Britain, we are at risk of raising a generation of depressed, visionless young people with their confidence and ability restrained by the pressures of modern education.
It’s always interesting to see how our fellow European neighbours are dealing with common issues and Denmark are yet again leading the way. In response to attempted suicides amongst schoolchildren going over 1000 in 2021, the Danish government started a 10-year action plan with the goals of (and I quote) “prioritising prevention, early detection, and equitable access to high-quality care, as well as improving the overall mental health and wellbeing of the population.” The Danish Liberal Party are the second largest in the current coalition government and have made it clear that education is a key priority; shown clearly in their pledge to treble operating grants for voluntary children’s and youth work.
The Young Liberals Conference will be held in February, and I plan to propose a policy regarding the funding for mental health services outside of schools. The Liberal Democrats have already set out a bold policy for tackling the mental health crisis through trebling the tax on social media companies to fund a mental health professional in school, a distinguishable and direct plan of action which will prove crucial as the general election draws closer. However, it’s of national importance to make sure that during periods of education young people are supported as much as possible. NHS Mental Health Services as well as CAMHS are going to exist whether the government chooses to truly support them not, so why not make our mental health services one of the prides of our nation.
As usual when it comes to the Conservative government, their priorities are firmly in the wrong places. Instead of investing into paying or recruiting teachers, Rishi Sunak has instead put his focus on making sure all students receive some form of maths education till 18. I would like to ask Mr Sunak if he can reach into his magic hat to find the teachers, because as of now I don’t see where they’re coming from.
When it comes to maths, Britain are sat in 12th place in the world in the latest PISA rankings, yet Rishi Sunak continues to preach that we have an anti-maths mindset despite being one of the world’s leading nations in the subject. As a student preparing to sit his GCSE exams in the summer, my peers and I have a very mixed view of the topic of mathematics however those with the ‘anti-maths mindset’ didn’t generate it from birth. Any young student who plans to enter unrelated professions or secure different post-16 qualifications aren’t interested in maths outside of securing a grade good enough to reach sixth-form or college. The argument that maths is essential for everyday life is valid, however, I recommend that people take a look at the latest AQA maths specification and try to figure out why the boy who wants to join the military should enjoy mathematics. Until we adapt our curriculum for the modern world students will continue to see school as a struggle rather than the learning period of their lives.
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5 Comments
Thanks to devolution, Sunak’s plan for Maths study until 18 will not apply in Scotland. That said, I have a friend who teaches Maths in a secondary school who told me once that a significant number of pupils move to secondary school, after 7 years primary education, unable to multiply or divide by 2 without a calculator. It is all well and good trying to increase the numbers passing formal Maths qualifications in secondary school but more needs to be done to ensure that basic mathematical skills are both taught, and learned, by all pupils during their time at primary school.
Thank you for a most important article!
Might the death of Ruth Perry show how predatory and confidence harming our current « command and control » educational set up, is, with its grossly inefficient and emotionally and mentally damaging objectification?
P.S. Having worked in a school with a qualified, experienced, hilarious mental health nurse, I can vouch for the brilliant benefits such skilled people bring and enable others to create.
Hi Steve,
The death of Ruth Perry was a tragic example of what the pressures of being in education can lead to. Perry worked tirelessly for her school and local community only to be judged by a one-word evaluation.
The inspections of schools are vital for maintaining standards and keeping schools accountable for their actions, however, a new style of constructive feedback is the only way forward.
Might the suicide of a committed and successful head teacher indicate deadly serious flaws the philosophy, structure and style of O F S T E. D?
If not, what would?
How rational and motivating is a classification set up which asserts that something as alive and complex as even a small school has to be presented as a single word?
Is this system an oblique suggestion that parents and careers cannot cope with phrases and sentences?
Good article. Thanks.
Why the epidemic of mental health? Some has always existed but its prevalence is obviously way up. I suggest there are two main causes.
Firstly, the neoliberal approach to running the economy that all parties have followed since Thatcher is fundamentally anti-human. For many, especially younger people, the multiple stresses caused are simply unbearable. Also – and the evidence is now in – neoliberalism is a terrible way to run the economy because it’s based on theory that’s badly wrong – and therefore inevitably fails.
Secondly, Piketty and others argue society has changed since the 1970s/1980s.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/05/around-the-world-the-disadvantaged-have-been-left-behind-by-politicians-of-all-hues
They say ‘traditional’ class-based politics has evolved. High income voters still favour the right while the highly educated (but generally lower earning) now form a counter-elite that have taken over the Left – both traditional and newer groupings like the Greens.
This leaves the traditional working class (diminished but still significant) politically unrepresented; no party can apparently conceive of educational paths that aren’t essentially academic or fake-academic – hence few proper apprenticeships.
Sunak’s ‘Maths-to-18’ fails twice over. It’s undeliverable and economically daft as much of the investment will be wasted plus it assumes that more academic-model schooling is the way to go.
Humans are infinitely variable, and a good system would reflect that fact with academic courses for those who they suit and, crucially, practical courses suited to those who are good with their hands etc.