Greer welcomes review of PSE, guidance and counselling in schools
Ross Greer MSP, Education spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today (30 March) welcomed Scottish Ministers' announcement that they will review Personal and Social Education (PSE), and guidance and counselling services in schools, as part of a new mental health strategy.
Mr Greer recently had the parliament’s Education & Skills committee hold a roundtable on PSE and has repeatedly questioned the Education Secretary on the issue.
Ross said:
“I’ve been raising the issue of Personal and Social Education in our schools since the election last year so I welcome the Scottish Government’s agreement that it should be reviewed. As the parliament’s Education Committee have heard, young people, teachers and charities are crying out for better coverage of mental health issues in schools and an end to the postcode lottery on whether you learn anything about mental health at all.
“This review cannot take a narrow view of mental health education though. With damning evidence being given to our committee about the effect of sex and relationship education which isn’t LGBT+ inclusive or which doesn’t include learning about consent, it’s clear that PSE as a whole must be reviewed.
"We need to ask ourselves what essential life skills and information all young people should leave school with and that must include not just learning about mental health but an education which prevents poor mental health from happening wherever possible.”