This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Make suicide prevention a compulsory part of the school curriculum.
We want suicide spoken about in schools in a safe and age-appropriate way. Speaking about suicide saves lives
The Dept for Education are conducting a review of the RSHE curriculum; this petition calls on the DfE to include suicide prevention within the statutory guidelines of the new curriculum.
More details
Suicide is the biggest killer of under-35s in the UK and over 200 school-aged children take their lives each year. Yet suicide is not currently referenced in the school curriculum.
Having recently been invited to hear the former Secretary of State’s statement regarding the new 10-year Suicide Prevention Strategy, we were heartened to learn how seriously Government was taking this critical subject, but we feel efforts need to go further if we are to save lives.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Parliament debated this topic
This topic was debated on 13 March 2023
Government responded
This response was given on 21 October 2022
Schools can teach about suicide to older pupils in an age-appropriate way. When we review the RSHE guidance we will look at whether there is more we need to do to support them to do so safely.
Read the response in full
The death of any child is a tragedy. Our deepest sympathies are with families of those who have died by suicide, and we need to do everything we can to prevent it.
All pupils in schools are taught about mental health as part of the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, which we made mandatory in 2020 to ensure that all pupils are taught about important topics. Through health education, pupils learn to recognise the warning signs of poor mental health, in themselves and in others, which could lead to self-harm or suicidal thoughts. This includes learning about the common types of mental illness, such as anxiety and depression, understanding that experiencing poor mental health is not uncommon and knowing where and how to seek support for themselves or someone else, whose mental wellbeing they are worried about.
Schools can teach older pupils about suicide in an age-appropriate and sensitive way. The RSHE statutory guidance advises that schools should approach teaching about self-harm and suicide carefully and should be aware of the risks to pupils from exposure to materials that are instructive rather than preventative, including websites or videos that provide instructions or methods of self-harm or suicide. The guidance is clear that where teachers have concerns about a specific pupil in relation to self-harm or suicidal thoughts, they must follow safeguarding procedures immediately.
The Department for Education (DfE) is committed to review the RSHE statutory guidance, which we plan to start in 2023. As part of the review process, the DfE will undertake a public consultation on proposed changes to the current guidance. Respondents will be able to comment on the proposed changes and to propose additional changes for consideration. We expect to complete the review process and publish the updated guidance in 2024.
We are also offering a grant of £1,200 for eligible state-funded schools and colleges in England to train a senior mental health lead to develop and implement a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing. Senior mental health leads can support staff training so that schools cover issues that their pupils need to know about in a safe way.
The DfE continues to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) around issues of children and young people’s mental health and how to provide support to pupils as early as possible.
We are supportive of the important work of Papyrus in suicide prevention and the dept has put together a range of resources so that children and young people, parents, carers, and school and college staff can get the advice and help they need Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges - (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges).
Department for Education
Related activity
MPs debate suicide prevention and the national curriculum
The Petitions Committee scheduled a debate in the House of Commons on the petition you signed. This took place on Monday 17 March 2023. A member of the Committee, Nick Fletcher MP, opened the debate.
Read a summary of what was said, watch the debate and access other relevant material:
What are petitions debates?
Petitions debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs did not vote on adding suicide prevention to the national curriculum at the end of the debate.
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Listen to Andy Airey from 3 Dads Walking discuss their petition with MPs
Petition creator Andy Airey, who is one of the campaigning trio 3 Dads Walking, was interviewed by the Chair of the Petitions Committee, Catherine McKinnell MP, in an episode of the House of Commons podcast, Committee Corridor.
Andy spoke about 3 Dads Walking's campaign on suicide prevention, their experience of starting a petition, and what it has achieved. Nick Fletcher MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, talked about his experience of opening the debate on Andy's petition.
Catherine also spoke with petitions expert Cristina Leston Bandeira to discuss the power of petitions more broadly.
The Committee Corridor podcast
The Committee Corridor podcast features interviews between MPs who chair House of Commons select committees and public figures, including campaigners. The podcast aims to provide insights into the world of scrutiny conducted by House of Commons select committees.
Debate on suicide prevention and the national curriculum
The podcast follows a debate in the House of Commons on this petition, which took place on Monday 17 March 2023. Read a summary of what was said, watch the debate and access other relevant material:
What is the Petitions Committee?
The Petitions Committee considers e-petitions submitted on Parliament’s petitions website and public (paper) petitions presented to the House of Commons, engaging the public directly with the work of the House.
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.
Government publishes a new National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England
On Monday 11 September the Minister for Mental Health and Women's Health, Maria Caulfield MP, announced a new National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. This refreshes the national strategy for England that was published in 2012.
The suicide prevention strategy
The Strategy outlines actions across national government departments, the NHS, local government, employers, the voluntary sector and others. It includes new priority areas of action, such as improving online safety, addressing the links between suicide and factors such as gambling and domestic abuse, and combatting different methods of suicide.
The strategy aims to half the number of suicides over the next five years and also set outs measures to improve support for people who have self-harmed and those bereaved by suicide.
The Government has said it will continue to review progress and update actions within the strategy.
What are written statements?
Written ministerial statements are a way for Ministers to keep Parliament up to date with Government policies and actions, including its response to major issues or incidents, and to put this information into the public domain.
3 Dads Walking nominated for Petition Campaign of the Year Award
The Petitions Committee, a cross-party group of MPs, has nominated three campaigns for the Petition Campaign of the Year Award.
3 Dads Walking, who created the petition you signed, have been nominated.
The winner will be announced at the end of February, as part of the UK Parliament Week Awards.
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3 Dads Walking win Petition Campaign of the Year Award
3 Dads Walking, who created the petition you signed, have won the Petition Campaign of the Year Award for 2023.
They visited UK Parliament at the end of March to collect their Award.
Find out more about their win.
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