Pupils undergo an early intervention programme in Glasgow

They might not get equal educational opportunities but pupils in deprived areas are proving to be a useful resource:

"A school in one of Glasgow's most deprived areas is training parents, pupils and staff in how to cope with stress."

"As part of the pilot, all S4 pupils at St Paul's High School in Pollok were assessed before the programme began."

"About 40% showed high levels of anxiety and depression, well above the national average."

"This dropped to about 20% by the end of the programme which aims to intervene early to prevent longer-term problems."

"Across Scotland, one in 10 adults is currently being prescribed an antidepressant."

"Almost half of all adults with mental health problems developed them before they left school."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-39067388

I`m always in two minds about this kind of thing because I wouldn`t want to deny anybody a stress-busting class. But I still think this is not the role for schoolteachers.

Schools themselves create an awful lot of the stress.

It looks like the focus on wellbeing, engagement and fun learning - the GIRFEC approach - is not working. The figures quoted in the article are quite shocking.

No, this is data mining, experimentation and mental health on the cheap. And not a thought about patient confidentiality.