Children’s mental health and wellbeing is a basis for good learning says ‘Turn the Page’ campaign

Maria Villa Vine from Isle of Wight Save our Schools shares details of a new campaign that is launching this weekend. Ed

This coming Saturday world-famous children’s author Michael Rosen will spearhead the launch of a new campaign aimed at grasping the opportunity to reimagine education post-Covid.

With trust in schools and teachers at an all-time high, parent groups will join with schools in calling for a focus on their children’s mental health and wellbeing as a basis for good learning; a forward-looking curriculum and assessment system that supports every child and long-term investment to ensure underfunding of schools is not yet another unwanted legacy of Covid.

‘Turn the page’ campaign
The ‘Turn the page’ campaign is backed by parent groups nationwide concerned about the narrative of ‘catch up’ and an increasing microscopic focus on discipline in the wake of Covid.

The parent coalition want to seize on this moment as the opportunity to invest in a forward-looking education system, with mental health and wellbeing at its core. The group has convened a 30-minute campaign launch to encourage other parents and carers to speak out.

Victorian prioritisation of discipline over wellbeing
Parents argue that alongside the Victorian prioritisation of discipline over wellbeing, the dogged focus on a backwards-looking curriculum and formal, one-size-fits-all, exam-style testing create undue anxiety and mental health issues for children from an early age, which is far removed from the reality of what parents and children want and need right now.

The campaign points to widespread evidence that the majority of teachers and parents oppose the use of SATs and says that, after Covid, schools should prioritise the wellbeing of children and a broad, rich curriculum which encourages love of learning rather continuing with a system which has fear of failure built in.

Rosen: Give children the space to express themselves
Speaking in advance of the ‘Turn the page’ launch best-selling author and former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen said,