85% of UK parents believe education in mindfulness and emotional wellbeing would help their child manage stress and emotions, with 9 in 10 teachers believing access to mental health support would better-prepare students for the future.

London, UK - March 5, 2024 - As we grapple with an increasingly complex world, a call for greater focus on child mental health resonates across the UK. The GoStudent Future of Education Report 2024, released today, amplifies the collective voice of 5,581 parents and their children, and 60 teachers across six European countries.

Most pressingly, the findings highlight a resounding call for emotional support within schools. Almost 9 in 10 (85%) UK parents believe the inclusion of mindfulness and wellbeing activities in school curricula would help their children manage stress and emotions.

The research also reveals that parents in the UK are deeply concerned about the pressure their children feel to succeed. Across Europe, 3 in 4 parents believe that children’s emotional wellbeing is closely tied to their academic performance, with this number rocketing to 82% in the UK, underscoring the need for UK schools to address mental wellbeing within the curriculum.

And children see this need too. When asked what they’d like to see added to the curriculum, children in the UK cited wellness and mental health support among the top 5 topics they’d like taught at school.

While shocking, these findings are not isolated. Last year, a review of 52 studies[1] highlighted that there is a clear connection between academic pressure and mental health issues. Knowing this, it is not surprising that GoStudent found that 9 out of 10 teachers agreed when asked what would make their students feel more prepared for the future: “More access to mental health providers and mental health guidance”.

Education must be practical and tangible: reshaping the curriculum to the needs of now

In addition to incorporating mental wellbeing into the curriculum, parents, children and teachers are united in the need for a more holistic approach to learning. 85% of parents and 9 in 10 teachers surveyed see bridging classroom learning with real-world experiences as essential to ensuring children are set up for success.

When asked what they’d like their child to learn, parents place ‘problem solving’ as the most important skill their child needs to be future-ready, followed by ‘emotional intelligence’ and ‘resilience’. And 91% of UK parents believe the curriculum should include both academic subjects and extracurricular activities - including volunteering, sports clubs and music lessons.

When asked what they themselves want to learn to be ready for the future, children express a strong desire to study practical subjects that can be applied to their day-to-day life. They cite ‘tech development’; ‘life skills’; ‘finance’; ‘wellness and mental health’; and ‘AI’ as the top five subjects they want to learn.

Should we see the curriculum evolve in this way it is likely that children will feel far more confident about their prospects. As it stands, a staggering 69% of children in the UK express the desire for more guidance in choosing their future path.

In response to these findings, GoStudent’s CEO and Co-Founder, Felix Ohswald, calls for a paradigm shift in education: “It is abundantly clear that we need to prioritise the development of students’ wellbeing and equip them with the skills necessary for success. This includes integrating mental health education into curricula, but also empowering educators to provide holistic learning experiences with a practical focus, tailored to each child’s individual needs.”

“The onus here is not on teachers - it is on all of us. According to recent figures from UNESCO, Europe needs around 4.8 million more teachers to ensure every child receives a quality education. We need to look to governments, explore public-private partnerships, and better-support the education industry to drive this change. We all have a mutual goal - empowering and supporting our students - and we must act now.”

Speaking on what would make them feel more prepared for the future, children cite more personalised classes, as well as teachers being able to adapt to their specific needs. Teachers agree, saying that, in an ideal world, teaching should be done in a more personalised manner, customising learning plans
for each student’s strengths, needs, skills, and interests.

Download The GoStudent Future of Education Report 2024 here

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Methodology:

In collaboration with Edelman Data & Intelligence, GoStudent conducted its study among 5,581 parents or guardians, and 5,581 children aged 10 to 16 at the time of the survey in 6 European countries: Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, between October 20 and November 13, 2023. Around 1,000 parents/legal guardians and 1,000 children were interviewed in each country, ensuring a representative sample by age, gender and region.

To provide a more holistic view, GoStudent also conducted 10-minute online interviews with 60 teachers across the same countries: Austria (n=10), Germany (n=9), France (n=11), Spain (n=10), Italy (n=11), and the United Kingdom (n=9). These interviews took place between November 20 and November 29, 2023.

About GoStudent:

GoStudent is one of the world’s leading tutoring providers and education platforms. Founded in Vienna, Austria, in 2016 by Felix Ohswald (CEO) and Gregor Müller (COO), the venture-backed unicorn has raised more than €675m from investors including Prosus, Left Lane Capital and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Believing the future of education is hybrid, GoStudent has expanded its offering, with the acquisition of three EdTech companies - Seneca Learning, Tus Media and Fox Education - and offline tutoring business, Studienkreis. Together, these companies aim to unite the best of the online and offline world to unlock every child’s potential. Learn more here: www.gostudent.org

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