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6-year-olds in UK stressed about examinations
A recent poll of 420 teachers revealed that children as young as 6 years are under a lot of stress about their exams and tests. Teachers have to increasingly play the role of a counsellor to help children tide over the stress.
Of 420 teachers who took a ATL poll, almost 50% said pupils in their school had self-harmed – and 89% said testing was the main source of stress. Some staff also revealed that some pupils had attempted suicide – and 18 of these were in primary schools.
It is a widely accepted notion among the teaching staff that the pressure placed on children of 10 & 11 years of age by end of primary school tests was "excessive". Other respondents blamed the government for raising the stakes on testing and exams, seriously inflicting stress on the youngest children in their schools.
"Mental health issues are probably our biggest barrier to academic progress," said the head of a Norfolk primary school. "As head of school I am spending more and more of my time supporting children with mental health issues," she added. A staff member at a secondary academy in London reported "a huge increase in physical symptoms of stress and incidents of self harm".
Teachers also cited family break-up, fragmented home-lives and social media as other factors adding to pupils' mental distress.
Almost 73% felt young people felt lesser pressure 2 years ago – while 82% felt students feel more pressure now than 10 years ago.
"Teachers are not social workers, psychologists or therapists but are increasingly expected to fulfil these roles," said a primary teacher from Somerset. ATL general secretary Mary Bousted described the poll findings as "horrifying". "The government bears responsibility for much of this stress which appears to stem from a test-focused, over-crowded curriculum," said Ms Bousted.
A government spokesman said the government had budgeted for £1.4bn for improving children's mental health services in England, a sum of £150m being earmarked for treating eating disorders and self harm and £1.5m for investing in peer support schemes.
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