Should there be a mental-health professional in every school?

Should there be a mental-health professional in every school?

From Academy of Ideas by academyofideas

July 10, 2026 · 1h 34m · Episode 333

About this episode

The episode discusses the need for mental health professionals in schools amidst rising mental health issues among children.

Recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2025 on Saturday 18 October at Church House and the Abbey Centre, Westminster. ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION There is no doubt that far too many of our children and young people are not thriving mentally or emotionally in the way that they should be. In 2024, almost 20 per cent of school-aged children in the UK had been diagnosed with a mental-health condition, up from 10 per cent 20 years ago. Meanwhile, the line between ‘learning disabilities’ and ‘mental-health issues’ has also become increasingly blurred. According to the charity ADHD UK, a diagnosis of ADHD is listed as a ‘mental-health disability’ under the Mental Health Act 1990. Over 1.6million pupils in England have been identified as having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), up 24.9 per cent since 2016, while the number of children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) has risen by an astonishing 83.4 per cent – up 11.6 per cent in the past year alone. The care minister, Stephen Kinnock, has confirmed that the government is committed to its manifesto pledge to put a ‘mental-health practitioner’ into ‘every school in the country’. The idea has widespread support…

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ADHD UK

Places: UK

More episodes of Academy of Ideas

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Academy of Ideas podcast page.