Wednesday 12 October 2016

Should pupil well-being be ranked alongside exam results?

A leading figure in UK education has argued that schools should be ranked as much on pupil well-being as on exam results.

Sir Anthony Seldon – formerly head of Wellington College – asserted; “As long as the only metric on which schools are being assessed is their exam performance, our schools will never have the incentive to take well-being as seriously as they should.

Sir Anthony has proved an innovative figure in English education – introducing happiness and well-being classes at Wellington.

The Office for National Statistics regularly measures well-being within schools – and it this information could possibly be used within a league table format.

This could include comparing the resources put into pastoral care, such as staffing and support services, and surveying a sample of pupils to see their views on school life.

There have been numerous reports about increasing unhappiness, anxiety and depression among young people and Sir Anthony insists that pupils need help while they are still at school.

By the time students arrive at 18, the damage has been done.