GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

enough money. The NHS in November 2018 declared that one in eight

children, one in eight children, now have an identifiable mental health condition

and all of this is happening with internal exclusion used to cover cuts.

Conference and President, there is a real crisis here and there is also a

solution, that we as the GFTU should take our responsibility to campaign

against any further reduction in funding, that we should challenge the

replacement of specialists with generalists, that we should ensure bespoke

support for all of those with mental health challenges or issues. We should

highlight internal exclusion as a way of covering for cuts.

President, these actions represent the least we can do as trade unionists and

as the GFTU if we are to make the GFTU’s aspiration of education as liberation

a reality. I thank you for listening, conference, I am happy to move the motion.

(Applause)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Chris. Have we got a seconder for that motion?

SIS MAZ JACKSON (Community): President, conference, Maz Jackson,

Community, seconding Motion 15 on mental health in education. Conference,

approximately one in four people experience mental health problems each

year. In schools and colleges a high majority of students have been affected.

With mental health and stress related issues year after year, conference, the

mental health issue crisis is growing. Mental health is not a new issue. In

2012 Ed Milliband said: “It is the biggest unaddressed health challenge of our

age” and if we look around this room I am sure almost everyone here has

either experienced stress or mental health concerns themselves or knows

someone else who has, so we all recognise the importance of this motion and,

therefore, must prioritise the issue and ensure that there are no further

reductions in education funding. Conference, let’s champion mental healthcare

in the community and ensure the funding goes to educated workers who deal

with students on the frontline. Conference, this motion affects us all. We need

to change the culture of this topic and make it okay to speak out about mental

health concerns. Friends, please support this motion. Thank you. (Applause)

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