Add ME to the secondary school curiculum

strobe

(No, not me as in Strobe)

So, I've been thinking, and I thunked what I think might be a good idea. I figured I'd float it here and see what people thought of it.

I think there should be a new compulsory subject added to the secondary school curriculum beginning in first year and running for x amount of time, not sure how long, that's for the people that get paid to do this sort of thing to figure out.

I've given it the working title ME - Mental Education, like PE - Physical Education, get it? Course you get it, you're a clever bunch and there's not much to get.

Basically I think CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or some variation should be thought to every person in the country from about the age of 12ish.

In the same way that the inclusion of PE in the curriculum is meant to try and help ensure, improve or maintain the physical health of our nations children as children and hopefully through to adulthood, in order to give them a better quality of life, I think it would be a good idea to have a subject in there that would endeavour to ensure, improve and maintain the mental health side of things as well. Providing every person in the country with some basic tools and knowledge to help them deal a bit better with any mental or emotional issues that may arise for them, early enough to manage and maybe even prevent those issues to a degree.

If this worked as well as I think and hope it would I really don't think the benefit to the people of Ireland as individuals and the country as a whole could be over estimated. But then again what the fvck do I know? I often have ideas I think are quite good only to find out they're actually bat sh1t stupid. Bat's being the most intellectually challenged of any animals sh1t... apparently.

So, what do people think of this one?

comongethappy

Talk to the teaching unions.

Gongoozler

Don't see how it could be a problem to anybody. Except having to train all the teachers in another subject. But surely the cost of this would be less than the long term cost of state funded therapy and the social cost of high suicide rates.

Capital idea strobey!

PucaMama

I think its a great idea

My name is URL

Basically I think CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or some variation should be thought to every person in the country from about the age of 12ish.

Aren't kids with obvious emotional problems already identified by schools / teachers and referred to therapy if needed.. or do you mean actually teach them the subject of CBT? At 12, that **** would be difficult to grasp.

I'm not sure what it is you mean by 'teaching them CBT' tbh. It's not really something that could be taught by your run-of-the-mill school teacher.

strobe

Gongoozler wrote: »

Don't see how it could be a problem to anybody. Except having to train all the teachers in another subject. But surely the cost of this would be less than the long term cost of state funded therapy and the social cost of high suicide rates.

Capital idea strobey!

Well my understanding (admittedly based on nothing but my foundationless assumption and maybe something I heard down a pub one time through a foggy whiskey haze) of how secondary school teachers get to be geography teachers or PE teacher etc is that they study and qualify to do teach these things off their own backs in trinity and maynooth and other colleges. So I don't think there'd be any additional costs, it'd just be one more subject they could get a qualification to teach.

Tasden

My name is URL wrote: »

Aren't kids with obvious emotional problems already identified by schools / teachers and referred to therapy if needed.. or do you mean actually teach them the subject of CBT? At 12, that **** would be difficult to grasp.

I'm not sure what it is you mean by 'teaching them CBT' tbh. It's not really something that could be taught by your run-of-the-mill school teacher.

Yeah I'd agree with this and I'd say anything on a more basic level would already be covered in SPHE as it is.

strobe

My name is URL wrote: »

Aren't kids with obvious emotional problems already identified by schools / teachers and referred to therapy if needed.. or do you mean actually teach them the subject of CBT? At 12, that **** would be difficult to grasp.

I'm not sure what it is you mean by 'teaching them CBT' tbh. It's not really something that could be taught by your run-of-the-mill school teacher.

Are they man? I really have no idea tbh. Didn't happen when I was in school anyways, I'm 29 (I think). But I'm not suggesting it as treatment for kids with obvious emotional problems. I'm suggesting it as something everyone could be thought so everyone would have at least some tools in place to help them deal better with any emotional or mental issues that may arise throughout their life.

I suppose I mean teach 'the tools and theories of CBT'. For instance, Aware do something similar to what I'm invisaging, a free one day a week six week CBT based course, designed to give people the tools to help themselves in relation to mental/emotional health dealies. I really don't think it'd be difficult to grasp for a 12 year old, but maybe I'm wrong. But perhaps it could be thought throughout secondary school from 1st to 6th year gradually the way maths or any other subject is.

Gongoozler

I don't see why it would be hard for a 12 year old to get. In fact if anything, I'd say it'd need to start younger, to really get embedded in their mentality.

WoollyRedHat

I like your idea, I think aspects of zen and meditation should be incorporated, and how to breath properly and relax, and also working on people's self-esteem, so that people can learn to be happy in their own skin. By the by, SPHE and CSPE are a massive waste of time, always felt like half thought out subjects when we studied them.

Also wrestling should be introduced as a sport in PE, think how much fun that would of been instead of playing Gaelic football.

CrabRevolution

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

I like your idea, I think aspects of zen and meditation should be incorporated, and how to breath properly and relax, and also working on people's self-esteem, so that people can learn to be happy in their own skin. By the by, SPHE and CSPE are a massive waste of time, always felt like half thought out subjects when we studied them.

Also wrestling should be introduced as a sport in PE, think how much fun that would of been instead of playing Gaelic football.

A lot lot less fun?

My name is URL

strobe wrote: »

Are they man? I really have no idea tbh. Didn't happen when I was in school anyways, I'm 29 (I think). But I'm not suggesting it as treatment for kids with obvious emotional problems. I'm suggesting it as something everyone could be thought so everyone would have at least some tools in place to help them deal better with any emotional or mental issues that may arise throughout their life.

I suppose I mean teach 'the tools and theories of CBT'. For instance, Aware do something similar to what I'm invisaging, a free one day a week six week CBT based course, designed to give people the tools to help themselves in relation to mental/emotional health dealies. I really don't think it'd be difficult to grasp for a 12 year old, but maybe I'm wrong. But perhaps it could be thought throughout secondary school from 1st to 6th year gradually the way maths or any other subject is.

I'm 30 and when I was in post-primary school there were definitely kids who were referred for consultations with child / behavioural therapists. A good friend of mine was one of them so maybe that's the only reason I'm aware of such a practice. I doubt many would be open and willing to talk about it.

I do get what you're saying and on paper it would seem like a great idea. I'm just not sure if teaching kids about the specifics of one kind of therapy would do them any good when it comes to dealing with their own individual emotions. An all round approach to positive mental health needs to be adopted by schools, with proper counselling services available to students that require it, and staff trained to spot the kids who may benefit from it. And the SPHE program needs to be overhauled and modernised a lot too (really, such 'lessons' should be included in that already.. they are in many cases).

It can take between 4 & 7 years to become a qualified psychotherapist. That's on top of the time it takes to become a qualified teacher (primary degree + postgraduate diploma).. it's not just another subject that prospective teachers could pick up along the way. It's a very specialised and complex field of study.

evolving_doors

Ya shur why not... Put it in with the requests for students to be taught psychology, philosophy,latin, mandarin,japanese , any nordic language, entrepeneurship, caring for animals, programming, dieting, driving, cycling, first aid, law, media studies, critical thinking....

Now... Does anyone really care about the education system as it is right now?

Let's paint all the classrooms grey while we're at it.

CrabRevolution

Armelodie wrote: »

Ya shur why not... Put it in with the requests for students to be taught psychology, philosophy,latin, mandarin, japanese , any nordic language, entrepeneurship, caring for animals, programming, dieting, driving, cycling, first aid, law, media studies, critical thinking....

Now... Does anyone really care about the education system as it is right now?

You forgot politics, relationship studies and sociology

Couldnt agree more though, the number of subjects people reckon "need" to be on the curriculum is ridiculous. Point out the lack of time and resources available and you'll get the stock "well, Irish and Religion can go" answer.

There seems to be the impression out there that schools do about 30 hours a week of Irish and Religion, and dropping those 2 subjects will solve every educational ill.

Muise...

Armelodie wrote: »

Ya shur why not... Put it in with the requests for students to be taught psychology, philosophy,latin, mandarin,japanese , any nordic language, entrepeneurship, caring for animals, programming, dieting, driving, cycling, first aid, law, media studies, critical thinking....

Now... Does anyone really care about the education system as it is right now?

If critical thinking could be taught, it would make short work of all the other suggestions.

Gongoozler

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Let's paint all the classrooms grey while we're at it.

Huh?