Improving mental health in schools - Layla Moran

We are facing a crisis of mental health issues in our schools.

A toxic combination of exams, which needlessly heap pressure onto pupils from a young age; unhealthy competition between schools, leaving teachers dreading the next Ofsted inspection; and funding cuts which mean numbers of school nurses have been reduced, is having devastating consequences.

The NSPCC say the number of schools seeking help from mental health services is rising and on average, 183 children a day are referred to NHS child and adolescent mental health services.

Among teachers, studies have shown 75% of the UK's education professionals suffered from either mental or physical health issues in the last two years due to work.

It is no wonder we have such problems of retention and recruitment in the profession, with talented teachers being driven out of the jobs they love.

We cannot hope to deliver the excellent education children deserve, or a work environment which nurtures teacher's passion for their jobs, without radical reforms to testing, inspection and funding.

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