Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I take this topical issue debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank Deputy Harris for raising this important issue. Schools play a vital role in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues and mental health education features strongly in the curriculum.

The social, personal and health education, SPHE, programme has been a mandatory part of the curriculum in primary schools and in junior cycle since 2003 and is designed to promote positive mental health. It is supported by comprehensive teacher guidelines and curriculum support services which provide training and advice for schools and a resource directory. Its aim is to foster the personal development, health and well-being of children, to help them create and maintain supportive relationships and develop the skills and attitudes for responsible citizenship. It includes relationships and sexuality education. In addition, all schools are required to have an agreed school policy and a relationships and sexuality education, RSE, programme at senior cycle.

The curriculum at primary level includes such issues as self awareness; relationships and sexuality education, feelings and emotions, making decisions, relating to others, communications resolving conflict and dealing with bullying. These themes are continued at post primary level, where SPHE is presented in ten modules covering self management, communication skills, relationships and sexuality, belonging and integrating, emotional health and influences and decisions, physical health, substance use and personal safety.

SPHE is designed for implementation in the context of a caring whole-school approach, supported by the pastoral care structures in schools and good parental links. A report was published in 2009 based on inspection of SPHE in 40 primary schools. It showed many extremely positive findings, including high levels of satisfaction from parents that their children's social and personal development were being promoted in schools, that their confidence and self esteem was supported and that they were encouraged to behave well and take responsibility for their actions.

Inspectors found in most classrooms pupils were encouraged to voice their opinions and interact positively with others. They displayed a good understanding of the SPHE content they had covered and considered themselves to be thoughtful about the feelings of others. Very high proportions of students considered themselves to be happy in schools and the report found feelings and emotions were addressed regularly in SPHE lessons.

All post-primary schools provide a guidance and counselling service for their students. The service includes the provision of individual guidance and counselling for students at critical stages in their education or times of personal crisis. Psychologists from my Department's national educational psychological service, NEPS, are present in schools across the country and provide a range of supports. These include the promotion of positive mental health among the general student body and assistance in supporting pupils with particular social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. The NEPS also encourages the development of structures among teachers and schools care teams which link with the relevant local HSE mental health services. Schools are playing their part within the resources available to promote positive mental health among students.

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