Is it time for mental health support to become a standard part of primary education?

The Department of Education has published an evaluation of its Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot, with pupils, parents, school leaders and staff reporting significant benefits. Children who accessed the service reported improvements in emotional regulation, resilience, communication and coping skills. More than 750 children received over 6,200 counselling sessions during the 2024/25 school year.

This raises a much bigger question.

Should mental health support become a standard part of primary education, or is this another responsibility being added to schools that should sit elsewhere? And if your school had the service, would you be happy to share your experience?

There are no right or wrong answers. I’m interested in hearing different perspectives from teachers, school leaders, parents and anyone working with children. Is it time for mental health support to become a standard part of primary education?

Department of Education press release: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/press-releases/evaluation-of-counselling-in-primary-schools-pilot-finds-significant-benefits-for-children-families-and-school-communities/
#Unconvention #PrimaryEducation #MentalHealth #SchoolLeadership #SEN #EducationIreland