Best Practice

The links between character education and mental health

The government is to strengthen the role of schools both in preventing mental health problems from arising and in supporting pupils in crisis. Anna Feuchtwang considers the part that ‘character education’ can play in new policy

Character education: it’s a term loaded with traditional values. It almost harks back to a time when schools were judged on their ability to stiffen upper lips and turn out young people with generous amounts of “backbone”.

Until recently, character education was used by policy-makers as an umbrella term to describe a whole raft of activity within schools as they support children to become well-rounded individuals, who can bounce-back from life’s set-backs, succeed and be happy.

As concern about the mental health of children and young people mounts, it’s inevitable that the flipside of this, how we build resilience and emotional wellbeing, is under increasing scrutiny. Developing positive character traits has a role to play in this work and interest in character education may revive.

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