Report: State schools need wellbeing officers to beat Britain's health crisis - Richard Garner, The Independant
Every state secondary school should appoint a head of wellbeing to counter a health and fitness crisis amongst today’s schoolchildren, says a report published today.
“The pressures facing secondary school pupils today are possibly at their greatest ever,” says a joint report from 2020 Health and Nuffield Health. “Surrounded by consumerism, bombarded by social media, distracted by screen-time, destabilised by family breakdown, stressed by academic targets, deceived by digitally altered celebrity images and exposed to damaging messages of online pornography, it is no wonder that many children find making the most of their education a tall order,” it says.
The new appointee could also help tackle the plight of the estimated 75 per cent of young people living with mental illness who go undiagnosed, it adds. Evidence supporting the need for such a post includes high rates of sexually transmitted infections amongst today’s young people, as well as weight problems, poor diet and low engagement in physical activity. The head of wellbeing, it also argues, could include looking after the welfare of teaching staff amongst their remit.
“Teachers report some of the highest levels of stress of any profession and support structures in schools often appear inadequate to meet their needs,” it adds. “The problem is perhaps most acute for newly qualified teachers but exacerbated for all staff by a pervasive stigma attached to mental health support and counselling.
