Mental Health in Education


I have been a teacher of Modern Languages for 35 years, working in the state sector in Bedford, Borehamwood and latterly in Westminster, in one of the early academies. During the last nine years of my teaching career, I was also elected NUT rep in my school, and have continued to campaign and support colleagues since I retired two years ago. I’ve also attended several conferences which I thoroughly enjoyed, both for the debate (and the social side, I must admit).


Two years ago, one of our dedicated reps in another academy in Westminster committed suicide on the first day of the new academic year. This prompted us in Westminster to write a motion for conference to raise awareness of the excessive pressure on teachers to constantly raise standards and meet the demands of management in our schools.


I have seen numerous experienced and valued members of staff pushed out of the classroom and young inspirational teachers walk away from a possible career because of the pressure, and of course this has a tremendous, as yet unmeasured, impact on students.


I worked in the secondary sector (11-18 years) and so this pressure has always been there as we approached exam seasons. However, even 10 years ago, I was shocked by the pressure SATs exams placed on primary children when my own son (now 20) was doing his exams at the end of primary school. As a parent, I had done my best to support and engage my son in a love of words and of learning, but I refused to put any pressure on him. At secondary school, he was doing very well but his reports always looked so negative as the school focused on setting targets as opposed to praise and encouragement for the progress achieved so far. Now I hear of primary children who talk about SPAG – not spaghetti bolognaise as it was in my day, but Spelling Punctuation And Grammar. Children of aged five or six.


At the NUT Conference in Cardiff this year, I spoke about these issues to a conference of between two and three thousand delegates. Those who know me well, will know what a monumental effort this was for me! A class of 30 teenagers, no problem. But my peers...? Our motion was ‘Mental Health & Wellbeing of students in exam factories’. I spoke about the impact on teachers, which obviously impacts students, and my colleague spoke of someone he knew who at 12 was self-harming. Both our speeches received standing ovations, and the motion was passed unanimously, the only motion to be passed unanimously throughout conference.


Much of the debate during conference referred to our motion. And yet. we had tried two years running to raise this motion at conference. Maybe, just maybe, we are waking up to the importance of mental well-being, and the damage we inflict on ourselves and those around us when we impose undue pressure and unrealistic demands.


I have always loved my job: teaching teenagers is rewarding, challenging and NEVER boring! However when I retired ‐ a rarity in my school ‐ youngsters would ask me how I’d managed to keep going for so long… tennis, gardening, and a husband who makes me laugh.


The Old Cornelian SUMMER 2017


“


Our motion was Mental Health &


Wellbeing of students in exam factories


” This was my speech:


President, Conference, this is my first time speaking at conference. We at Westminster feel passionately about this motion, and are really pleased we’re in the second session with no amendments.


I could stop there.


However I’d like to expand. Action Point 1 is about ASOS (action short of strike action). I recently retired from an academy where all teachers are tutors. We were expected to be able to identify teenagers with mental health concerns, organise and attend meetings with specialists such as educational psychologists. With my 35 years’ teaching experience I found this challenging. Most of my colleagues were under 30. Most were daunted, and already completely overloaded… many were still qualifying…


Action Point 2 is about honesty and whistleblowers. Teachers are being pressurised into compromising their integrity ‘for results’ and students know this. This has devastating consequences, both on teachers and students.


At Westminster I know of several colleagues who have been pushed to the limit, and sadly, a much loved and respected teacher and rep committed suicide on the first day of the new academic year in September 2015.


This devastated us: the effect on students – we can’t even imagine… Politicians do not realise this – it’s time we told them! We are the educators. We need to nurture and develop our students, and stand up for their mental health against bullying ignorant politicians. After all, children are our future. So conference, please support this motion. Conference, I move.


OC


Rosette Wilkinson (née Snellgrove) Class of 1975


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