Guidelines for primary schools on promoting pupils well-being and mental health are currently being developed by my Department. It is expected that the guidelines will be available later this year or early in 2015.
These guidelines will complement 'Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools: Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention' which were published by my Department in 2013. These guidelines were developed by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and well-being in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour.
The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model. Information is also provided on how to access support from the Professional Development Service for Teachers, the HSE, Health Promotion Officers and other external agencies and support services.
The new Framework for Junior Cycle also places a clear emphasis on overall student health and well-being. This Framework is underpinned by eight principles, one of which is "Well-being". It also has eight key skills which are to be embedded in every new Junior Cycle subject and short course including the key skills of "Managing Myself" and "Staying Well". In addition, the 24 'Statements of Learning' that a student should experience during their Junior Cycle programme involve the student taking action to safeguard and promote their own well-being and that of others.
One of the innovative features of the Junior Cycle Framework is the introduction of short courses that schools can choose to implement. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has developed a new short course in SPHE, which may be delivered for certification purposes and will involve an increase in the time allocation for SPHE at Junior Cycle up to 100 hours over the three year cycle. The new short course is now available to implement in post-primary schools, should they wish to do so, as part of their Junior Cycle programme. It includes strands such as "Minding Myself and Others" and "My Mental Health", and deals with issues such as mental health and mental ill-health, dealing with tough times, loss and bereavement.
My Department is also working with the Department of Health to promote participation by primary and post-primary schools in the 'Health Promoting Schools' initiative, which is supported by the Department of Health. This European-wide programme aims to strengthen schools' capacity to be a healthy setting for learning and working by focusing at whole-school level on all the conditions that affect health and well-being.
