Jewish schools set to get mental health training boost
Major donation means specialist training for teachers and staff as "worrying increase" in cases reported
Teachers at Jewish schools are to get specialist training on spotting and dealing with mental health issues among children after community leaders identified a “worrying increase” in the number of cases being reported.
The initiative, which follows a major funding donation by Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust and the Wolfson Jewish School’s Fund, will involve workshops for school staff, run by mental health and wellbeing charity Place2be.
A spokeswoman for Partnership for Jewish Schools (PaJeS), a division of the Jewish Leadership Council, said that professional training was “much needed”. They added that it would “transform the support currently provided by Jewish schools”.
PaJeS’ consultation with school leaders revealed that 85 percent of Jewish schools had seen an increase in mental health issues being reported by students. It is not clear whether this increase is due to the reducing stigma of highlighting personal concerns, or whether external factors are leading to more problems.
“Headteachers considered the needs of their schools and agreed on a strategy to address their concerns,” said PaJeS director Rabbi David Meyer.
“We need to take every step necessary to ensure that our students’ educational environment is one that can provide the required support that every student in every facet of their daily school life requires.”
The most significant issues that Jewish schools have identified are anxiety, depression, self-esteem and anger amongst students, and PaJeS said the training would give teachers the “skills, confidence and resources to help cope with the wide-range of emotional and social issues”.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
