The current school system is felt to place too much emphasis on exams and not enough on key life skills like paying taxes or preparing for interviews. These are skills which will set children up for life no matter what they go on to do career wise. While I agree that the core subjects such as Maths and English are equally as important in developing our brains and learning what we want to do at university or jobs, those core foundations for life outside of school should be integrated as well.
In 2022, the vast majority of staff working in UK schools (95%) witnessed increased levels of pupil anxiety with an increased prevalence of other mental health issues among pupils:
86% noted an increase in low self-esteem
76% said they’d seen an increase in depression
68% witnessed an increase in sustained feelings of anger
For staff working in secondary schools, 72% have noticed an increase in self-harm, 61% in suicidal thoughts, and 56% in eating difficulties among pupils. Unfortunately, only 23% of staff said they had been regularly able to access specialist support for pupils with mental health needs, leaving a majority of children and young people struggling without access to the support they need. This needs to change. Teaching young people how to draw a pie chart isn’t helpful if they don’t know how to help themselves and their mental health.
School staff also highlighted the wider impact on many aspects of school life. A large majority said it has negatively affected:
pupils’ ability to engage in learning (91%)
pupils’ behaviour (87%)
pupils’ progress (86%)
staff workload and capacity (91%)
staff wellbeing (89%)
Exams are a large part of students’ stress especially in the capacity they are currently dished out in. The system needs to change.
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