In a significant step towards enhancing Mental Health Literacy (MHL) in the education sector, the DBE’s Psychosocial Support Directorate, in partnership with the Child Mind Institute, held a workshop bringing together provincial education teams, officials from various departments, mental health specialists and various stakeholders dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and support in schools. The workshop was the first step towards the development of a national training curriculum on MHL to equip educators and Learner Support Agents (LSAs) with the necessary skills to support themselves, as well as learners facing mental health challenges, and to create psychosocially friendly schools.
MHL is a basic human right, which refers to knowledge, skills and attitudes to help learners, teachers and schools understand and promote mental well-being by recognising signs of mental health, maintaining good health, seeking support and reducing stigma.
Dr Granville Whittle, Acting Director-General, in his opening remarks, emphasised the Department’s dedication to creating a safe school environment for all learners. He also affirmed a broader commitment towards prioritising mental health and ensuring that both educators and learners receive the support they need to thrive. He further acknowledged the valuable contributions of DBE partners in shaping MHL in schools, whilst emphasizing the importance of building on the existing work by provinces, schools and NGOs rather than reinventing the wheel.
Ms Sibongile Monareng, Director for Psychosocial Support at the DBE, stated that, “MHT for educators and LSAs can provide a valuable component of psychosocial support within the education sector: “It is important to equip educators and LSAs with the relevant skills to be able to recognise mental health symptoms, understand referral processes, and encourage appropriate help-seeking attitudes”. She highlighted that learners flourish in environments where teachers are mentally resilient and equipped to support their wellbeing.
During the workshop, participants agreed that there is a need to develop a standardised mental health training programme for educators that will not only focus on the needs of learners, but also the wellbeing of educators. During these discussions, it became evident that educators need to be equipped with knowledge about mental health; conflict management; empathy; coping mechanisms; and skills to identify learners with mental health needs. The proposed training will focus on fostering resilience and promoting positive attitudes towards mental health, self-care and help seeking behaviour.
As a way forward an action plan was proposed, which included the establishment of two task teams, one for LSA and one for educator MHL Training, to work on the development and implementation of the training programmes for both educators and LSAs, involving further consultations and testing in selected provinces. It was further agreed that teacher unions are a critical stakeholder to be brought on board, as well as incorporating the voices of teachers and learners during the process. In conclusion, Ms Monareng thanked all participants for their commitment and valuable insights during the workshop.