To ask the Minister of Education to outline his plans to Ms enhance the primary school curriculum by requiring Catherine schools to deliver lessons on mental wellbeing. Seeley The statutory curriculum clearly states that pupils should be (SF - taught the importance of learning about mental health and Upper wellbeing. Bann) In the primary school curriculum, managing feelings and emotions is a compulsory element of Personal Development and Mutual Understanding and provides opportunities for pupils to better understand their own feelings and the feelings of others, as well as how to sustain their health, growth and wellbeing. Also, you may be of the Department’s programme, ‘I-Matter’ which is about addressing how the entire school community should be engaged in promoting resilient emotional health and well-being for all pupils.The materials produced to date under the Programme include subjects such as and anxiety’ ‘stress and and are widely used by schools, across the youth ‘feelings’ sector, local libraries, GP surgeries and parent organisations. The Department intends to review the materials available over the coming months with a view to adding additional material on promoting positive emotional health and well-being. Welfare Reform Mitigations Working Group Report Mr To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the Andy allocation of funding outlined in the specific advice in the Allen Welfare Reform Mitigations Working Group Report. (UUP - As part of the Fresh Start Agreement, £8m funding was East committed over four years to put additional independent advice Belfast) services in place for Welfare Reform. The Department is currently in the final stages of agreeing a contract with the Welfare Reform Advice Services Consortium
Ms Catherine Seeley (SF - Upper Bann) To ask the Minister of Education to outline his plans to enhance the primary school curriculum by requiring schools to deliver lessons on mental wellbeing. The statutory curriculum clearly states that pupils should be taught the importance of learning about mental health and wellbeing. In the primary school curriculum, managing feelings and emotions is a compulsory element of Personal Development and Mutual Understanding and provides opportunities for pupils to better understand their own feelings and the feelings of others, as well as how to sustain their health, growth and wellbeing. Also, you may be of the Department’s ‘I-Matter’ programme, which is about addressing how the entire school community should be engaged in promoting resilient emotional health and well-being for all pupils.The materials produced to date under the Programme include subjects such as ‘stress and anxiety’ and ‘feelings’ and are widely used by schools, across the youth sector, local libraries, GP surgeries and parent organisations. The Department intends to review the materials available over the coming months with a view to adding additional material on promoting positive emotional health and well-being. Welfare Reform Mitigations Working Group Report Mr Andy Allen (UUP - East Belfast) To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the allocation of funding outlined in the specific advice in the Welfare Reform Mitigations Working Group Report. As part of the Fresh Start Agreement, £8m funding was committed over four years to put additional independent advice services in place for Welfare Reform. The Department is currently in the final stages of agreeing a contract with the Welfare Reform Advice Services Consortium
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