SDGs and Mental Health Education and Social Emotional Learning: A case study in China

This paper will explore the importance of and relationship between Mental Health Education (MHE) and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and equitable quality of Education, internationally and in China. Significant... [ view full abstract ]

This paper will explore the importance of and relationship between Mental Health Education (MHE) and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and equitable quality of Education, internationally and in China. Significant international research demonstrates that including SEL and MHE in schools facilitates the development of social and emotional skills, enables positive mental health and psychological development, and also leads to improved academic outcomes . The Government of China is seeking to support schools to focus more on MHE and SEL. Education in China has tended to focus more on cognitive, physical and language development, however, increasingly, in response to the raising of the importance of SEL and MHE globally, the Ministry of Education (MoE) revised, in 2012, their “Mental Health Guidelines for Schools” and produced in 2013 “Mental Health Monitoring indicators”. In 2012, UNICEF begun to work with MoE and Beijing Normal University to develop an SEL and MHE programme for primary schools, which is being piloted in 250 schools in 5 disadvantaged counties. This paper will use a case study from one of these county’s efforts to implement SEL and MHE in their schools to explore the role of SEL and MHE in China. It will also use the case study and international research findings to discuss the links between draft SDG 3 on health and wellbeing and SDG 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education.