Pilot project to strengthen school management in dealing with pupils' mental health problems

A new pilot project aims to train managers in schools to deal with pupils with mental health problems. "Mental health problems and misconduct by children and young people have a particular impact on everyday school life and have a long-term effect on job satisfaction and teacher health," said Minister of Education Christian Piwarz (CDU) according to a press release. In order to counteract this, school management must be strengthened preventively.

The pilot project would provide school principals with professional and practical support, said Piwarz. "We are thus making an important contribution to teacher health and to maintaining the workforce."

In cooperation with the University Hospital Dresden and the Saxon Hospital Arnsdorf, digital and personal forms of information and support will be tested and set up from the fall. In addition to imparting knowledge about emotional problems or behavioural disorders in pupils and how to deal with them, the training courses will also focus on improving the use of resources through digitalization, for example through online training material.

250 schools in Dresden and the district of Bautzen involved

Initially, 150 schools in Dresden and 100 schools in the district of Bautzen are involved. The knowledge gained from the project will then be extended to the whole of Saxony.

The project was praised by the Green coalition partner. Christin Melcher, education policy spokesperson for the Green parliamentary group, said it sounded promising. "Knowledge about mental disorders and concrete guidelines for action are good recipes for tackling the feeling of powerlessness and helplessness that sometimes spreads." The Greens support the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs in its efforts to comprehensively promote and support the health of teachers.