Education should be more than the pursuit of academic success—it should nurture well-rounded, emotionally resilient individuals. Schools should serve as environments where every young person is supported to develop self-belief, confidence, and pride. Yet, for many students today, the reality is far from this ideal. Exclusionary policies, punitive cultures, and a lack of focus on emotional well-being leave too many children and young people alienated, anxious, or struggling to cope. It is time to reimagine our schools as spaces that prioritize mental health, emotional and interpersonal growth, and inclusivity.
The Therapy and Social Change (TaSC) Network is initiating a campaign to call on the UK government to ensure that, by the time young people leave secondary school, they are equipped with the emotional and interpersonal skills to navigate adulthood. We are advocating for an education system that is compassionate, equitable, and designed to meet the diverse needs of all students.
A Call for Emotionally Healthy and Nurturing Schools in the UK
This event draws together leaders in the mental health professions field, along with young people, educators, and parents, to address these questions:
- What have mental health professionals and their organisations been doing, to date, to support emotional health and wellbeing in schools?
- What ‘asks’ do we have of policy-makers and government to make schools a place of emotional health and wellbeing?
- How can mental health professionals work more closely and effectively together to make emotionally nurturing schools a reality?
- What should education, most fundamentally, be about?