Policy Proposal 9: Shift the focus of the education system to mental health and wellbeing

The education system should be designed for positive mental health and wellbeing, rather than rigidity, rules, and standardised academic success. The system should reflect and respect the lived experience of people living with mental health issues.

• There should be a compulsory requirement for every member of staff in schools, universities etc to be trained in mental health awareness, in order to identify issues towards early intervention.

• Look to schools that are already actively training staff and students in mental health awareness; their work should be highlighted to make the case to other schools and share training materials. 

• Education, in general, should take a more holistic approach, especially in mental health education. People learn in different ways, via arts, PSHE, etc, and different learning styles should be supported and resourced.

• Cultural artefacts such as video booklets, or a legislative theatre play, could be used as a way of communicating to young people and educational staff how to recognise and articulate their own and others’ needs around mental health.

• Mental health awareness should be integrated across the curriculum, through tools co-designed with young people, to help young people navigate mental health issues throughout their life, family and community.

• Mental health awareness implementation must be measurable and actionable: GMCA could design a workshop with young people to be implemented in a certain number of schools, for example.