A survey published by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) during its annual conference in Liverpool during Easter blames the problems on the increasing stress that pupils are under, with a majority of respondents saying that testing and exams and an “over-crowded curriculum” are partly to blame.
One school counsellor at an independent school in Warwickshire said: “I feel angry on our young people’s behalf. Our young people seem to be on this constant treadmill of achievement, spending hours linked to a computer, endlessly being ‘organised’. If they’re outside, it’s only for ‘sport’. They have no freedom. It’s not surprising they’re getting increasingly mentally ill.”
Other stress factors cited by respondents included school pressure to do well (70 per cent), a fragmented home life (68 per cent), and social networking (56 per cent).
The results show that 44 per cent of the respondents now work in schools with either a part or full-time counsellor on the staff. A further 17 per cent work in schools that use external counsellors to deliver support.
However, the survey raises concerns that 21 per cent of the respondents said their school had no access to a counsellor to support pupils. And where there was access, many reported that counselling services are over-stretched.
As a result, teaching staff are frequently shouldering the responsibility of supporting young people, with 27 per cent stating that they struggle to provide the support required by pupils.
A teacher at a secondary school in Surrey said: “A few students come to me quite regularly for support – sometimes just to have a chat, sometimes for a place to sit quietly, sometimes for encouragement to get on with their day. I worry that I don’t have enough time to spend on the things I should be doing because time is so short.”
A motion at the ATL conference, approved by delegates, called on the union to “promote awareness of mental health issues in schools” and to launch a campaign to “ensure that all pupils should have access to an appropriately trained, dedicated counsellor”.
ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “Education staff are increasingly trying to fill a gap left by drastic cuts to services such as CAMHS.
“Politicians miss the point that children perform better if they are supported and feel safe and it is vital that we create environments to support their emotional wellbeing and mental health. We want all schools to have access to trained professionals to support pupils.”