Starting Monday, 4 May, schools across Slovakia can participate in Mental Health Week. The Ministry of Education, together with affiliated organizations, has prepared a series of activities and workshops - ranging from those that can be incorporated directly into classroom instruction to more comprehensive formats for classes or teachers.
Experts point out that the issue is becoming increasingly urgent - mental health problems are also linked to growing aggression and radicalization among young people. According to data from the Office of the Commissioner for Children, 91% of young people consider mental health to be their biggest problem.
Commissioner Jozef Mikloško points out that feelings of vulnerability lead to aggression, bullying, and radicalization. Secondly, as many as 89.6% of young people say that poor social relationships are the main factor driving these issues, and 83% say that the negative social climate significantly exacerbates these phenomena.
According to Marek Madro, head of the IPčko organization, it is therefore important to identify young people’s problems early on; we can prevent the situation in their lives from escalating and their experience from worsening.
Schools can participate in mental health awareness through various activities, either directly in the classroom or through a week-long program, explains Alena Kopániová, director of the Research Institute of Child Psychology and Pathopsychology.
The main goal of these activities is to increase discussion about their preparation and support, so that they become part not only of a single week in the school year but also of systemic support - for both professional staff and, above all, teaching staff.
The Ministry of Education is calling on schools to demonstrate that they care about how both students and teachers feel in their schools. All materials and information are available on the Ministry of Education’s website.
Source: STVR
