A coalition of organisations, led by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and including Save the Children, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Young Minds is urging the government to prioritise children’s mental health over ‘academic catch-up’ in the post-pandemic recovery.
In a letter to the chair of the Education Select Committee, to coincide with Children’s Mental Health week, the coalition argues that children’s mental health and wellbeing should be front and centre of the education sector’s post-pandemic recovery. The committee is currently holding an inquiry on the effectiveness of the government’s catch-up programme.
The letter highlights findings that show in autumn 2020, 69% of young people with mental health needs described their mental health as poor after returning to school, an increase from 58% from before schools reopened.*
The coalition wants to see an extra 10 minutes of playtime added into the school day to restore the playtime eroded in recent years. There is clear parental support for this approach with 79% of parents surveyed by YouGov, on behalf of the BPS, saying they felt play was more, or equally as important, as academic catch-up for their children post-pandemic. The coalition also wants to see ring-fenced funding to enable local authorities and schools to commission the psychological support that is needed to tackle the disproportionate negative impact of the pandemic on children and young people with SEND.
Commenting on the publication of the letter, Sarb Bajwa, Chief Executive of the BPS, said:
“We have a real opportunity as we emerge from the pandemic to re-set our priorities for our children and their education. We have the chance to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing, and ensure we are developing happy, thriving and well-rounded individuals. We must not get drawn into solely focusing on forcing our children to ‘catch up’ on so-called ‘lost learning’ and lose sight of what all of our children have experienced over the last two years.
“We know the benefits that play can bring in terms of children’s social development – something that many children have had significantly reduced access to during periods of school closures, and we know that many children are struggling with their mental health now they have returned to school and are processing their experiences from the last two years.
“That’s why we have joined forces with like-minded organisations to urge the government to shift its focus and to prioritise children’s mental health and wellbeing. Only by doing so will we ensure our children and young people are mentally healthy to make the most of their school-time, and thrive post-pandemic.”
