"Bulimic learning", overloaded curricula, grade and performance pressure, stress and bullying: the Greens in the Saxon state parliament are concerned about the mental health of children and young people. "Our goal must be to maintain the children's thirst for knowledge, creativity and love of learning that they bring to school throughout their entire school career. We want schools where children learn, live and laugh in equal measure," writes Green education expert Christin Melcher in a position paper.
Melcher: Greater focus on mental health
"In view of the number and severity of the crises of our time, there needs to be a greater focus on the mental health of children and young people. We need to do school differently," explained Melcher. The task of schools should be to make young people strong and resilient for their path in an increasingly complex world. "Children and young people can only learn well if they are healthy and happy." To achieve this, the Greens are proposing a whole range of measures.
In concrete terms, they are looking for a "new learning and examination culture with fewer performance assessments and alternative feedback formats". The prevailing pressure to perform demonstrably does little to build skills and self-confidence. More children and young people should be given the opportunity to learn together for longer, for example in community schools. In their opinion, the topic of mental health - dealing with stress, nutrition, sleep and exercise - should be dealt with directly in lessons, for example in a school subject called "Happiness" or "Mental health and school".
