UK Launches National School Grit Initiative to Address Rising Child Mental Health Crisis

The UK government, led by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, has launched an initiative to teach schoolchildren the value of "grit" as part of a broader effort to address a growing mental health crisis in schools. This program aims to prepare children for life's "ups and downs" by providing increased mental health support, including more specialist teams and interventions like sessions to tackle anxiety and low mood, with plans to expand access to mental health support to nearly a million more children by 2026. The initiative responds to alarming NHS data showing that over 20% of children aged 8 to 16 had a probable mental health problem in 2023, contributing to record high school absences, with 150,000 pupils absent more than half the time. Officials emphasize that building resilience is essential not only for academic success but also to improve long-term outcomes such as earnings and employment prospects, as frequent absences linked to poor mental health can lead to lower income in adulthood. The government will also introduce attendance and behaviour hubs in schools and recruit ambassadors to support struggling students, aiming to break the "doom loop" of unaddressed mental health issues that burden the NHS and society. Ministers reject the notion that children will simply "grow out" of these problems, asserting the need for early, evidence-based interventions to foster resilience and provide vital support during formative years.