THE Independent Review of Education is an unprecedented opportunity to make transformative changes to our education system to allow Northern Ireland to flourish and prosper.
This will require a strong focus on mental wellbeing and emotional intelligence, and a rethink of how we define success.
The UN Convention on Child Rights states that education “shall be directed to the development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential". Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, school league tables focus steadfastly on academic qualifications as the outcome of interest. It is true that “what gets measured gets managed”, and we must question whether these qualifications remain as relevant in a world where information and misinformation can be obtained at the touch of a button.
Surely now more than ever, it is time to develop an education system that equips children the self-awareness and emotional intelligence they need to thrive in the modern world, and promotes critical thinking so that they can make and evaluate arguments based on evidence.
A recent study found that rates of mental health problems in young people here are 25 pee cent higher than neighbouring regions, one in eight have a mental health problem. One in eight young people have thought about, or attempted, suicide and this figure is even higher in our university students. Mental health difficulties happen when we are overwhelmed, and unable to cope with the pressure that we encounter. Children are unable to focus and learn when they are in a state of chronic anxiety.
Raising standards in education necessitates a focus on mental wellbeing; and such a focus will invariably lead to improved educational outcomes. Our current education system contributes to the difficulties faced by young people, but it can also be part of the solution.
Transgenerational trauma, poverty and childhood adversity, all influence risk here. The gap between the rich and the poor, the “winners” and “losers”, and the divisions across society generally, have resulted in a scarcity mindset that promotes unhealthy competitiveness, and anxiety about never being good enough. In a world of toxic online content, and a system that emphasises a narrow range of academic qualifications as the metric of success, many of our young people struggle with anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. Coupled with overwhelming pressure, and left unchecked, they can get trapped in harmful cycles of suicidal behaviour and disordered eating as a way of coping. Understanding how our minds and brains work, and learning how to manage our feelings, and behaviours not only supports mental wellbeing, it is the basis upon which we set and achieve goals, including educational and career goals. These are the attributes and skills that we need to value and measure.
As more and more young people struggle with their mental health, the loudest calls are for more mental health services, curriculum resources and resilience training. However, it is important to note that there are many areas across the curriculum where mental health is addressed. CCEA’s Wellbeing Hub provides resources to support the teaching of wellbeing and mental health in the curriculum, and Learning for Life and Work also addresses these topics.
The Review of Education must ensure that the quality of the provision is assessed, and that league tables outlining performance in relation to these aspects of the curriculum are available. The Department of Education’s Children & Young People’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing in Education Framework outlines a whole-school approach, promoting wellbeing through the development of a caring and supportive culture. It also includes early support in schools and interventions for those with mental health difficulties. All schools now need to be supported and resourced to implement it fully, and teachers should be equipped with the skills to enable them to identify children at risk.
Programmes may help young people cope with pressure, and services will help pick up the pieces. However, they can only ever have a limited impact in the absence of a more equal society where every child has a fair opportunity, and an education system that really prioritises developing children’s “talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential”. The goal of the Review of Education should be the creation of a system where mental wellbeing is central to schools’, mission and culture, and where self-awareness, critical thinking, and personal growth is valued.
This requires not only the implementation of the framework, but also the measurement and independent inspection of key outcomes in relation to this. It needs a change in culture to drive forward a trauma informed approach to the delivery of education. Strong leadership is fundamental to achieving these goals, and this will require courage and a commitment to a new definition of excellence through the whole system.
:: Professor Siobhán O'Neill is the north's Mental Health Champion.