The Department of Education has an important role to support the wellbeing and positive mental health of all our young people. The Department’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health of young people is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice first published in 2018 and refreshed in 2019. The approach proposed is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include providing children and young people with opportunities to:
- build core social and emotional skills and competencies
- experience supportive relationships within the school setting
- be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe, in which they feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, that their voice is heard, and they feel supported
Embedded in the whole-school approach is the recognition that members of the school community may have different needs at different times and that a continuum of support in relation to wellbeing should be made available.
The curriculum which is one of the four key areas of wellbeing, addresses wellbeing and mental health. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) which is mandatory in primary schools and up to Junior Cycle provides specific opportunities to enable a young person to understand himself or herself, to develop healthy relationships and to establish and maintain healthy patterns of behaviour.
The SPHE curriculum at primary level is currently presented in three strands: Myself, Myself and Others and Myself and the Wider World. These are consistent throughout primary school and provide a basis for the SPHE and the Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) curricula at post-primary level. The strands are presented at four levels, outlining the content that could be covered at each stage of the child’s time in school.
Myself is concerned with the personal development of the individual child and his/her health and well-being. The strand Myself contributes to children establishing ways of thinking, feeling and acting that can help to promote and maintain health and well-being both now and in the future.
Myself and Others focuses on developing a sense of care and respect for other people and the facility for relating to and communicating effectively with others.
Myself and the Wider World enables children to explore the various communities in which they live and learn how to operate competently in society and to understand what it means to belong and to share a sense of purpose.
A review and redevelopment of the whole Primary Curriculum is currently underway by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). As part of this work, the NCCA is engaging widely with stakeholders in education and other interested individuals and groups, as well as working directly with schools from across the country on their priorities and needs for a redeveloped primary curriculum.
At post primary Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) at Junior Cycle provides a unique opportunity where students can develop the skills and competences to learn about themselves, to care for themselves and others, and to make informed decisions about their overall health and wellbeing.
SPHE also provides the context within which students can learn about the important moral, physical, social and emotional issues around relationship and sexuality education (RSE), including where to get reliable information from trusted sources.
All students commencing Junior Cycle from September 2017 onwards undertake the area of learning called Wellbeing. Wellbeing crosses the three years of Junior Cycle and builds on substantial work already taking place in schools in support of students’ wellbeing.
The Junior Cycle years are a critical time in young people’s lives. Students are exposed to a range of influences and require support to make positive responsible decisions relating to their health and wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. Wellbeing in junior cycle is about young people feeling confident, happy, healthy and connected.
The school’s commitment to this area of learning will increasingly have a positive impact on the wellbeing of the students. It includes learning opportunities to further enhance the physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing of students.
The Curriculum Framework for Social, Personal and Health Education at Senior Cycle was developed by NCCA in consultation with teachers, learners, parents, management bodies and others. Discussions on how best to introduce it for all schools are ongoing. It is available for schools who wish to avail of it. The Senior Cycle SPHE framework builds on student’s prior learning in primary and junior cycle SPHE.
A review of Senior Cycle is underway and wellbeing will be considered in this context. The three tenets of Senior Cycle redevelopment are to:
- Empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century
- Enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system
- Embed wellbeing and reduce student stress levels
In 2020, the NCCA established two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the work in the area of SPHE/RSE curricular redevelopment and support the development of guidance material for schools.
The immediate focus of the work of the NCCA has been on creating support materials for teachers for publication online as part of an Interim Guidance Toolkit. The toolkit's purpose is to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum and to provide guidance on how SPHE/RSE may be approached in a more holistic way.
In tandem with this work, preparation for the broader redeveloping and updating of the SPHE curriculum is underway. Updated curricula will be developed for Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.
A draft revised Junior Cycle specification was published for consultation on 18 July, with the consultation process running until 18 October. The consultation will take feedback from teachers and students as well as other interested groups and individuals. More information on the consultation process, including how to contribute to it, is available on the NCCA’s website.
It is expected that the finalised Junior Cycle specification will be presented to Council for approval by the end of this year, and will be implemented in schools in September 2023.
The draft updated specification provides clear direction on the knowledge and skills that all students should gain during the 3 years of Junior Cycle SPHE. It places a strong focus on the development of important life skills that young people need growing up in a fast changing and complex world.
A background paper that will inform the updating of senior cycle SPHE/RSE is will be brought to Council this month. This will be followed by a period of consultation. It is intended that the curriculum redevelopment work will commence in October with the first meeting of the development group. A draft updated curriculum for senior cycle SPHE will be ready for public consultation by summer 2023 and finalised in early 2024 for implementation in schools in September 2024.
Following publication of the Primary Curriculum Framework, expected in early 2023, the NCCA will establish a development group which is due to commence development on updated primary specifications in Quarter 4 2022, with a draft estimated to be available for public consultation in Quarter 1 2024.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework where there is need via a NEPS psychologist. NEPS works closely with the HSE and its agencies to ensure those who may require the provision of therapy or counselling are referred on the appropriate clinical services for intervention and support.
The NEPS Support and Development service, reaching an estimated 25,000 teachers annually, is an applied psychological service for school staff to help build their capability to respond to the wellbeing, academic, social and emotional needs of all students, and particularly those who are experiencing barriers to their wellbeing, learning, inclusion and participation. Professional learning activities to support children/young people with social/emotional/mental health difficulties and to promote positive wellbeing in school include the FRIENDS
programmes. These are evidence-based anxiety prevention and resilience building programmes, which foster self-concept and a sense of school belonging using Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutically-informed approaches. Friends programmes help students to develop resilience by teaching them effective strategies to cope with, problem solve and manage all kinds of emotional distress, including worry, stress, change and anxiety. The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme is an evidence-based programme that equips teachers to manage their classrooms effectively to prevent and reduce behavioural problems while promoting children’s wellbeing and emotional and social competence.
NEPS has developed a range of workshops on the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in schools which include upskilling school staff on the use and implementation of therapeutically-informed approaches in schools. These include trauma-informed approaches, approaches based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, and attachment-aware approaches. The approaches outlined in the workshops are based on research findings, on the experience of experts in their fields and on the experience of practicing psychologists working in schools. The workshops will be available to build the capability of school staff in both primary and post-primary settings, including for school leaders, teachers and SNAs.
Post primary school have received a copy of new Student Support Team Guidelines. A Student Support Team is a student-focused mechanism put in place by a school in order to co-ordinate the support available for students in the school and to facilitate links to the community and other non-school support services. NEPS provides support to post primary schools in the setting up or review of Student Support Teams.
Also at post primary level, counselling is a key part of the role of the Guidance Counsellor, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process, at moments of personal crisis but also at key transition points. The Guidance Counsellor also identifies and supports the referral of students to external counselling agencies and professionals, as required. Each post primary school currently receives an allocation in respect of guidance provision, calculated by reference to the approved enrolment.
While the Department of Health has responsibility for mental health services in Ireland, my Department has an important role to support the wellbeing and positive mental health of all our young people. My Department has built strong links with the Department of Health and both Departments are exploring ways to improve supports for young people, including around increased awareness, promoting help-seeking behaviour and sign-posting to the wide range of available services.
