50 signatures reached
To: The Rt.Hon. Secretary of State for Education - Damien Hinds MP
Bring Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness & Growth Mindset Programs Into Our Schools
We call upon the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt.Hon. Damien Hinds MP to take the lead on the need for urgent and appropriate funding for the introduction and implementation of whole student, holistic programs as part of the wider curriculum. In order to address the increasingly prevalent and wider implications of the effect that anxiety, stress & panic disorders currently being endured by our young people has on their formative & educational years
It's NOT enough to state that Mental Health Education will be compulsory(which is a good, positive starting point) from 2020, yet already it's been reported that 'it would ''probably'' be mandatory by Autumn 2020, and further scrutiny reveals The Secretary of State to already have been quoted as saying that many schools already cover health & relationship education as part of PSHE & should continue to do so'
Furthermore, once funding has been granted, he ensures the educational establishment fully embrace the absolute need to successfully support students in undertaking these programs, in a manner which is equal to that seen in any or all other subjects taught as standard within the framework of the National Curriculum
Mental health services within the NHS are woefully inadequate, overstretched and very definitely lacking in many ways, simply because the funding needed to cope with demand is not there! When this and future Governments begin to understand the importance of introducing specific, targeted lessons aimed at raising happy & MENTALLY healthy children THEN we may see the tide begin to turn and the time to commit wholeheartedly to that and STOP blowing smokescreens is TODAY!
Why is this important?
As child & young adult mental health issues continue to soar in the UK to critical issue levels? We demand that the Government take action, indeed has a moral imperative, to make it a priority for funding to be made available to all U.K schools, colleges & universities as a matter of utmost urgency to be utilised for the implementation of holistic programs which promote and address both the benefits of & the need for increased mental well-being for our children & young adults
The Mental Health Foundation website states quite clearly that:
20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year
50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24
10% of children and young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age
The provision of funding for & the freedom of our educational establishments to introduce programs designed to underpin & maintain a young persons mental well-being OR restore & redress the balance in those who are already known to struggle? Is increasingly acknowledge as being beneficial
When we intentionally introduce concepts such as emotional intelligence, mindfulness, growth mindset as well as breathing and meditation techniques at an early age, our children naturally become calmer, more attentive & focused and very definitely more self-aware
Teaching our young people skills of this nature, together with active listening, empathy, emotional control & inter-personal relationship skills equips them with the tools to thrive & grow confidently and positively fuels an increased sense of self-worth & self-esteem. Which in turn when applied consistently, sets them up to succeed not only socially but academically as well
The key to not only halting but reversing the mental health crisis we're currently experiencing (1:4 of us will suffer or know someone who does in our lifetime) lies firmly in the education of our children & young adults from an early age and when that begins to happen as a matter of course?
We will not only be raising happier, more well-balanced children, we will be providing them with the foundational life skills we all need in order to grow & ultimately become happy, healthy & whole adults
Implementing programs of this nature is a vital part of the process and which when we get it right, will not only see millions of people with improved mental health & well-being but the beneficial implications over time will mean less pressure on overstretched education & health services, almost certainly a decrease in children & young adult crime rates and a dramatic increase in attainment & achievement long-term within our educational system, meaning an increased number of fully functioning & productive adults contributing positively to society
This won't happen overnight BUT each and every signature will take us one step closer to it becoming a reality SO I URGE YOU PLEASE stand with us today & pledge your support because by signing this petition?
I PROMISE YOU
You will be instrumental in empowering the children and young adults of this country to live as they were meant to be - HAPPY - HEALTHY & WHOLE
Thanks for taking the time to read this can I ask one last thing?
We have got to have a minimum of 100,000 signatures before this petition can be considered for debate in Parliament BUT 100,000 is just a starting point my aim is to reach the magical milestone of ONE MILLION Signatures show the Government that the time for change is NOW - RIGHT NOW - Many Thanks
How it will be delivered
When this petition reaches it's target of a MINIMUM 100,000 signatures, the aim being ONE MILION then I will personally deliver the petition to Downing Street complete with the appropriate press coverage
