Munira spoke up in a debate yesterday urging the Government to provide a new fund for mental health provision in schools.
This follows evidence suggesting that children and young people face a mental health crisis in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, with as many as one in four children self harming in the past year.
Munira called for a ringfenced Resilience Fund targeted towards supporting the mental wellbeing of students in schools after the Coronavirus pandemic left children and young people’s mental health approaching crisis point.
Whilst financial support is in place to support academic needs, the mental wellbeing of students in school settings has been ignored by the Government.
Following the debate, Munira said:
“Children and young people have been treated like an afterthought over the course of the pandemic. The disruption experienced has caused anxiety, and school closures have seen isolation and loneliness. As a result, rates of self-harm and eating disorders have soared.
It is essential that urgent action is made to support the mental wellbeing of children and young people within school settings. A ringfenced Resilience Fund, as proposed by Young Minds, will ensure that children get the support that they deserve.”