While the true cost of sending Irish children back to school was a big eye-opener, another interesting issue raised was the desire for school curriculums to reflect the times we’re living in.
30% of mums feel schools aren’t equipping children with the basic skills they need for life and instead of focusing solely on classroom academics, 36% of mums think the school day should run from 9am to 5pm to allow children to do their homework, partake in afterschool activities and spend time learning other skills.
Considering the promoted worry behind Ireland’s rising obesity rates, this survey shows that mums are making their little ones’ health a priority. 91% of mums think schools need to devote more time to physical education, while 83% think SPHE (social, personal and health education) needs to be allotted more time in the classroom.
When it comes to truly educating children about life and tolerance, 81% of mums think that the newly passed marriage referendum should be discussed in the school curriculum in SPHE, while 91% think the SPHE curriculum should teach children about gender and social equality.
One incredibly important topic that really needs to be integrated in school curriculums is that of mental health. 92% of MummyPages mums want professional mental health services available in schools, while 96% think schools should teach pupils coping mechanisms for stress.
Bullying is a top cause of mental health issues among students in Irish schools, and 81% of parents fear their child will be bullied in school; however, 67% of mums say their child’s school is taking measures to tackle cyber-bullying.
Speaking about the issue, Laura Haugh, Mum-in-Residence for MummyPages, says: “Interestingly, 74% of mums feel social media amplifies the stress felt by children and teenagers.
“MummyPages would recommend mums monitor the amount of time children and teenagers spend on the social media and digital devices, as it can affect sleeping patterns which amplifies stress further. Social media can also alienate users and young people can begin to harbour feelings of inadequacy as they benchmark their lives against their friends’ ‘lives’.”
To find out your personal back-to-school costs, check out our MummyPages Back-To-School Calculator. For more information on our Back-To-School Survey, click on the image below to see our helpful infographic.
