Plan to help support mental health of pupils

Children will be asked for their views on school atmosphere and their teachers as part of a suggested process to help support pupils’ mental health.

A system of self-evaluation recommended in new guidelines for primary schools includes the filling of questionnaires by pupils, as well as by staff and parents.

The idea is to give teachers and management an idea of areas that need improvement to help better promote children’s mental health.

The guidelines aim to help schools provide a safe and supportive environment, and enable pupils build life skills and resilience.

While detailed questions for students were set out in a similar questionnaire as part of mental health guidelines for second-level schools in 2013, simpler ones are suggested for primary pupils as part of the school self-evaluation process.

Suggestions about how to identify and support vulnerable or at-risk children are also included in the guidelines from the department’s National Educational Psychological Service, developed with help from the Health Service Executive.

For the small numbers of pupils with more complex mental health issues, measures to take and relevant agencies to contact are also provided.

“The guidance supports the school community in creating a safe and supportive environment for children to talk about mental health and how they fell, to explore how to relate with one another, and to build healthy relationships,” said HSE mental health division director, Anne O’Connor.

Children’s mental health is to be discussed today at the annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network, whose chief executive, Seán Cottrell, said obesity, lack of fitness, and mental health are all challenges to parents and educators. However, he said, children’s health and wellbeing are at risk because of failure to act.

“Leadership is required urgently to address children’s diet, exercise and fitness. There are some children who are extremely unfit, even though they may not be overweight,” he said.

Question Time

Children may be asked to say “yes”, “no” or “sometimes” to statements like:

I feel that my school is happy and welcoming

This school is clean, tidy, and bright

There is enough space in my classroom

My teachers listen to me in school

My school is important to me

We have Social, Personal, and Health Education (SPHE) classes in our school

I feel safe when I am in school

I am encouraged to join in at school

If I’m worried or upset in school, I know who I can talk to

If I feel bullied in school, my teachers have told me what to do

My teachers help me when I need it

My teachers like me

My teachers talk with my parents