BellTIME
BellTIME
Junior Cycle Reform , SEPTEMBER 2017
need to seek out support with how we are feeling , or indeed to know when perhaps we may be experiencing a more serious problem . The term wellbeing , therefore , means more than just being happy . It means being and feeling mentally healthy and having the strength to overcome the challenges and difficulties that we can all face at different times in our lives ; to have the confidence and self-esteem to be able to solve problems and make decisions , and to believe in ourselves . So , in a nutshell , it is all about how we feel about ourselves and other people around us ; how we make friends , develop relationships , and keep friends ; how we learn from others ; and how we develop our psychological and emotional wellbeing .
The Role of Educators For young people positive mental health contributes to their overall wellbeing . Not only do confident and resilient children , with a capacity for emotional intelligence , perform better academically , these skills further contribute to the creation of strong social bonds , supportive communities , and the maintenance of healthy relationships and responsible lifestyles .
Promoting the wellbeing and mental health of all young people is a key strategy for policy makers in Ireland and a vital part of the core business of teachers and guidance counsellors . This is where the guidance counselling service , within a whole school environment , plays a crucial role by integrating and holding the different elements of mental health education and wellbeing , and guidance counsellors come into their own . people would say ; and 15 % stated they were bullied because of their mental health problems . In addition , 31 % were on the receiving end of derogatory language , citing , “ crazy ” “ mental ” and “ attention seeking ” as some of the most common terms used . Unsurprisingly , 48 % chose not to tell anyone at school or college about their mental health problems , with many citing physical health conditions as the reason for being absent . When it comes to mental health problems , young people are silenced by its stigma and worried they may be bullied because of talking about their mental health problems .
Summary We need to build a fairer society . This means better education within the school environment on mental health and wellbeing , without the barrier of stigma . While it is heart-breaking that young people fear they will face discrimination from their peers by speaking out about their mental health , it is heart-warming that the DES is already working at policy level to help teachers and guidance counsellors ensure that mental health and wellbeing education now comes center stage on the national Junior Cycle curriculum .
All of us in education have a role to play in ensuring the delivery of this very important system change . All of us already recognise that a child ' s physical health education is important enough to have attention devoted to it on a weekly basis , on a national scale . Is it not time we now adopt the same approach to their mental health and wellbeing ?
Guidance counsellors every day support children who are feeling worried , anxious or upset when quite normal events in their lives don ’ t go as they hoped . These pressures can include exams , work and getting a job ; growing up and developing independence from their family ; and making up , and indeed breaking up , with friends . Educating children on mental health so that they learn to know when it is important to seek help is absolutely critical .
Figures released in September 2014 ( Time to Change , 2014 ), when many children and young people were heading back to school , college or university , showed that 77 % of young people with mental health problems had missed out on education ; that 24 % did not go into school , college or university because they were worried what other
Betty McLaughlin Wellbeing Team Leader Junior Cycle for Teachers schools ’ support service .
REFERENCS : Cannon , M ., Coughlan , M ., Clarke , M ., Kelleher , I . ( 2013 ). The Mental Health of Young People in Ireland : A report of the Psychiatric Epidemology Research across the Lifespan ( PERL ) Group . Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , Dublin .
Time to Change Survey ( 2014 ). https :// www . time-tochange . org . uk / news / students-missing-out-education-becausemental-illness .
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