Education and in particular school have a profound impact on our lives from when we are five years old to when we are eighteen years old. From learning to read and write to learning to fall in love, those thirteen years not only shape but change our lives dramatically. So, I must ask, why school is defined (and presented) as “an institution for educating children”* when in reality a school shouldn’t just “educate” but should be so much more.  

 

With globally “one in six” five to sixteen year olds being identified with a probable mental health problem and suicide being the leading cause of death for males and females between the ages of five and thirty-four**, mental health is clearly a leading issue we face in the UK. However, it is not a requirement to be taught in school. Almost ironically up to the age of sixteen we have to learn about Pythagoras and Shakespeare, and yet we don’t have to learn about depression, anxiety and methods to deal with these mental health issues. 

 

 Moreover, school is a place to build friendships with the average British citizen “still [being] in touch with five friends from their school days -and over a third remain[ing] close to their very first best pal”***. This in-of-itself shows the colossal impact school has on us from a non-educational standpoint. In addition, over the years we make and break friendships, not only determining how we interact with others but also determining whether we want to interact with others at all.    


 

*source =dictionary.com 

**source = who.int

***source = express.co.uk