Schools in the UK Introduce New Mindfulness Subject
370 schools across the UK, will soon teach children techniques for muscle relaxation, breathing exercises for mindfulness and how to meditate. The secondary school students will also get a more hands-on education to learn about awareness and how to increase it in their daily lives. The program aims to study which approaches work best for young people in a rapidly changing world.
The UK government said the study, which will run until 2021, is one of the largest of its kind in the world.
In a statement, British Education Secretary Damian Hinds, said, “As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children.”
“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added.
The demands of our modern culture may negatively affect both children’s cognitive and emotional development. The immature brain of childhood is exceptionally vulnerable to stress and poses them a great deal of risk.
Academic stress has been increased significantly in large numbers of children. Stress is not just present in older children but also by many at the primary school level.
The reasons for increased stress levels in children could be information overload, increased competitiveness, pressure from teachers and parents to perform well in studies and unrealistic expectations. Modern children who express stress from divorce, abuse, or emotional discord within their family unit have difficulty putting aside these traumas to do other tasks, such as thinking and studying. Alongside these pressures, the emotional insults children often face at school can impact their ability to focus.
Apart from the increasing number of young children that are showing signs of early onset depression and anxiety, NHS reports have also highlighted that as many as 1 in 8 British children may have mental disorders. Despite this, only 1 out of 5 children with psychological issues have access to treatment.
Incorporating mindfulness into education has been linked to improving academic, social and emotional learning. What’s more, mindfulness strengthens some of the underlying development processes such as focus, resilience, and self-soothing, which can provide long-term benefits for children.
Children experiencing firsthand the feeling of calmness, mental stability, and emotional intelligence can reassert their inherent capacity for self-regulation, discernment, and confidence.
Scientific evidence suggests that mindfulness interventions can improve attention, self-control, emotional resilience, recovery from addiction, adaptability, memory and immune responses. As a parent, I do believe that every student should have access to the skills necessary for confronting the anxiety of everyday life. An ounce of practice is generally worth a ton of theory.
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