Topic 2 The School’s role in fostering students’ mental health

According to WHO (ibid.), to foster students’ mental wellbeing, schools may:

• Offer mental health support with the help of mental health experts, such as school counsellors, psychologists, or social workers who can have recurring sessions with the whole student population.
• Implement a mandatory Psychology course to inform and them.
• Foster the creation of a safe environment “based on trust, integrity, democracy, and equal opportunity in which each child is valued and respected regardless of their abilities” (ibid.).
• Ensure the mental wellbeing that its staff members.
• Set clear and strict school policies about aggressive behaviour and bullying, and underline that no form of such violence is accepted.
• Train the staff members on how to detect and manage mental health issues of their students.