Young people’s poor well-being has hit headlines this year, with talk of crisis and a lot of soul-searching about why many children seem to be unhappy. We've brought together a panel of experts to share their views. Thankfully, serious mental health problems remain comparatively rare and it’s important to remember that childhood and the teenage years, in particular, have always been a difficult time of transition. But something else seems to be going on today, from an earlier age. Blame has been laid at the door of many things – from neoliberalism, to social media, to excessive testing in schools. What's changed to impact on young people’s well-being to such an extent, and what can schools, parents and carers, and policy makers – do about it? Are we doing enough, early on enough, to respond to modern-day pressures – whether through mental health training for pupils or mental health first aid training for teachers? #IOEDebates

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12/11/2019

There's been a big push to get classroom practice shaped by evidence of 'what works'. This has been largely inspired by advances in healthcare, where the use of research trials and national guidelines to improve patient care and outcomes is more established. This approach has not gone uncontested in education (or health) and 'evidence-informed practice' is still to be firmly embedded across all schools. Why is this, and do we even have a shared understanding of what we're aiming for when it comes to teachers' engagement with and use of research? In this debate we heard from leading commentators about whether, in their view, this is the correct agenda for education and, if so, what evidence-informed practice should look like and the steps needed to realise that vision across all schools.

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12/5/2019