The government has dropped its mental health champion for schools after she publicly criticised current education policies, in particular the testing regime, which she claims is detrimental to children’s mental health.
Natasha Devon
was appointed by the government last August to raise awareness of and reduce
the stigma surrounding young people’s mental health, as part of a wider £1.25bn
drive to improve care.
On Wednesday,
however, it emerged that the high-profile role had been axed, raising concerns
that the government was attempting to silence her.
The
Department for Education denied this, saying Devon would remain on their mental
health steering group, which would be making recommendations in the summer.
Supporters
said they were not surprised she had been let go as she had become “a thorn in
the flesh” of the DfE after speaking out against government policies.
Last week, at
a conference of headteachers in London, she highlighted the academic pressures
facing young people, saying she knew her opinions would not be popular in some
circles, but felt she had to be brave and speak out.
“Time and time
again over recent years young people – and the people who teach them – have
spoken out about how a rigorous culture of testing and academic pressure is
detrimental to their mental health,” she said.
“At one end of the scale we’ve got
four-year-olds being tested, at the other end of the scale we’ve got teenagers
leaving school and facing the prospect of leaving university with record
amounts of debt. Anxiety is the fastest growing illness in under 21s. These
things are not a coincidence.”
The DfE denied
that the axing of the role was connected to Devon’s criticism of government
policy, or that she was being silenced, but said it was because a new
cross-government mental health champion was being appointed, which made Devon’s
role obsolete.
Luciana Berger,
mental health shadow minister, said Devon had spoken out “openly and honestly
about the challenges facing children’s mental health under this Tory
government.
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“If she has
been silenced then this raises serious questions over the government’s
commitment to listening to the evidence and acting in the best interests of
young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
“Ministers
must explain themselves as a matter of urgency. Nicky Morgan [the education
secretary] claims to be in ‘listening mode’ but it would appear that this does
not extend to those that do not agree with her.”
A DfE
spokesperson said Devon had done “a great job of helping us to raise the
profile of young people’s mental health since her appointment last year.
“Since that time,
the independent NHS taskforce report has been published, which recommended that
a cross-government mental health champion be created – for this reason we have
had to reconsider the department’s own role.
“We have
asked Natasha and others who have been involved in our work to empower schools
and young people to promote good mental health to continue to work with us as
we prepare to launch our activity later this year.”
The
spokesperson added: “Natasha will remain a full member of the DfE’s mental health
steering group, which will be making recommendations this summer. Natasha will
stay closely involved with all our work.”
Sarah
Brennan, chief executive of the charity YoungMinds, said: “We are very
surprised and sad that Natasha’s role as mental health champion has ended.
She’s done a superb job of drawing attention to the crucial importance of
mental health and wellbeing in schools.”
News of
Devon’s departure came the day after hundreds of parents chose to keep their
children at home on Tuesday in a day of protest against tougher primary school
tests, which they claim are causing stress anxiety in schools.
But Devon’s
criticism went beyond mental health in the classroom. In a column for the Times
Educational Supplement she accused the government of engineering “a social
climate where it’s really difficult for any young person to enjoy optimal
mental health”.
She said
parents “work every hour God sends”, which reduces quality family time, while
spiralling poverty had pushed a million young people into dependence on food
banks.
On Wednesday
Devon told the Guardian she was assessing her options. “I can confirm that I am
no longer authorised to comment as the government’s mental health champion for
schools.
“The DfE have
extended an opportunity for me to continue working on the peer-to-peer project
they were seeking my advice on.”
She was also
in talks regarding another offer, adding: “Either way I’m not going anywhere
and will continue to campaign for the rights of young people and those who
teach them.”
While Devon’s
role with the government was unpaid to enable her to be completely independent
and objective, the new cross-government mental health champion – which will be
advertised shortly – is expected to be salaried.
Appointing
her as the first ever mental health champion for schools, education and
childcare, minister Sam Gyimah said: “Natasha is an inspiration to many young
people and I’m delighted to have her on board as our first mental health
champion.”
She is the
founder the Self-Esteem Team and Body Gossip, organisations that deliver mental
health education to young people and visit three schools a week, delivering
classes to more than 50,000 teenagers, as well as parents and teachers.
Mary Bousted,
general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “The
department has got rid of a thorn in its flesh. Natasha has been a completely
trenchant and very brave campaigner and advocate for children’s and young
people’s mental health.
“She has
spoken forcefully about teenage and children’s mental health and she has said
really important things. Firstly that resources available for dealing with
young people’s mental ill-health are inadequate.
“She has also
said that the current government’s – and previous administration’s – education
policies and the increase in testing have led to an increase in stress and
pressure in schools.
“That will
have really annoyed the department. I’m not surprised they’ve let her go.”
This post was
originally published here: Mental
Health Champion For UK Schools Axed After Criticizing Government
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