Homework could be abolished at one of Britain's most prestigious
schools to combat teenage depression.
Cheltenham Ladies' College will review dropping homework -schools to combat teenage depression.
known as "prep" - over the next five years
in response to "an epidemic of anxiety" among youngsters in the UK.
Pupils at the 162-year-old boarding and day school will attend
weekly meditation classes from September.
weekly meditation classes from September.
They will also have twice as long to walk between lessons.
Cheltenham Ladies' College. Pic: John W Schulze/Flickr
Teachers at the independent Gloucestershire school are
already being trained to spot mental illness.
already being trained to spot mental illness.
Headteacher Eve Jardine-Young said the average age
at which depression was first diagnosed had fallen from
29 in the 1960s to 15-and-a-half early this century.
at which depression was first diagnosed had fallen from
29 in the 1960s to 15-and-a-half early this century.
"We will have to look at how we are doing things," she told The Times.
"Will we even be doing prep?
"Will we even be doing prep?
"What we've been reflecting on a lot in the last
few years are the big national trends and international
trends in the worsening states of adolescent mental health.
few years are the big national trends and international
trends in the worsening states of adolescent mental health.
"We've created this epidemic of anxiety for ourselves as
a society, and if our obligation as educators is
to try to the best of our ability to set young
people up as best we can for whatever the future may hold,
a society, and if our obligation as educators is
to try to the best of our ability to set young
people up as best we can for whatever the future may hold,
then to ignore this whole area or to trivialise it is really irresponsible."
The school is examining university-style "flip learning",
where pupils read up on material before classes,
where pupils read up on material before classes,
as an alternative to homework in two or three subjects.
Sir Anthony Seldon, headmaster at Wellington College
in Berkshire, told Sky News that "mental health
in Berkshire, told Sky News that "mental health
is a massive problem in Britain in schools and universities".
He applauded the school's efforts in acting -
but disputed whether banishing homework was the answer.
but disputed whether banishing homework was the answer.
"We shouldn't be shielding girls or boys from anxiety and stress," he said.
"Life is stressful. Adult life is stressful, so unless we
teach them to cope with that we're not going to
teach them to cope with that we're not going to
prepare them to cope in the adult world.
"That’s what schools are about - helping
children learn to become adults, to learn to take responsibility
children learn to become adults, to learn to take responsibility
themselves, rather than pampering young people."
Source: Sky News
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