Covid-19: Schools get extra £5m for students' wellbeing
- Published
Last year EA guidance said that the money a school received had to benefit "at least" half of the pupils and staff
Schools across Northern Ireland are to get a further £5m in funding for student and staff wellbeing, Education Minister Michelle McIlveen has said.
The minister set out details of the funding during a visit to Belfast Boys' Model School on Thursday.
Schools and institutions will be given flexibility in how they support the emotional health of children and staff, the department said.
They will also be given guidance on how the funding can be used.
The money is an extension of a fund set up last November.
When it was originally announced, schools were told the money had to benefit "at least" half of the pupils and staff, ruling out things like counselling for smaller groups of pupils.
The guidance for this further funding is not yet known.
However the minister said it could be used to provide interventions including "stress-busting activities, emotional support, sports activities and equipment, wellbeing games and books and materials".
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"There is a growing body of evidence, which highlights that adolescence and young adult years are peak periods for the first onset of mental illness," she said.
She said the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic had made the situation worse.
"That is why I'm providing further funding in response to the additional mental health and wellbeing needs of children and young people and education staff," she said.
"It will give them the flexibility to provide additional support that will best meet their needs," she added.
Playground equipment was among the areas the EA advised schools to invest in last year
The assistance will be provided to all schools, Education Other Than at School (EOTAS) and youth settings.
The Department of Education (DE) said the money will allow education settings to add to existing wellbeing programmes and implement new wellbeing initiatives that support pupils and have a focus on adjusting to a Covid-19 affected world.
Just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, 800 post-primary school pupils in Northern Ireland were on a waiting list to receive counselling.
In October 2020, a study commissioned by the Health and Social Care Board suggested high levels of anxiety and depression among children and young people in Northern Ireland.
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