Asked by: Lord Chadlington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to educate parents about (1) the potential risks of gambling-related harm, and (2) how to support and help their children to avoid such harm.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The government’s Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures included the announcement of a multi-million pound safer gambling advertising campaign, aimed at raising public awareness of the risks around gambling and signposting to support. The campaign will be funded by industry and led by GambleAware, an independent charity which commissions research, education and treatment of gambling-related harms.
GambleAware’s delivery plan for 2018-20 sets out steps it will take around education and harm-prevention, including developing and promoting a ‘knowledge hub’ of resources and guidance for teachers and those who work with young people, working with agencies that support young people’s mental health and encouraging parents to have conversations with their children about safer gambling behaviour.
Schools are expected to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. We know that some schools choose to teach about gambling and addiction in an age-appropriate way, as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. The non-statutory PSHE programme of study, published by the PSHE Association includes teaching about gambling (including online) and its psychological and financial impact.
The consultation to make relationships education compulsory in all primary schools; relationships and sex education compulsory in all secondary schools; and health education in all state-funded schools, closed on 7 November and a thorough engagement process has informed the key decisions on the content of these subjects. The draft content also addresses online behaviour and mental wellbeing. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation before finalising the regulations and guidance.
Asked by: Lord Chadlington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what education is provided in schools about the potential adverse mental health risks associated with gambling.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
This Government wants to help all schools deliver a high-quality education to ensure that all young people are equipped with the knowledge they need to prepare them for adult life, including the risks associated with harmful behaviour and addiction.
Schools are expected to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. We know that some schools choose to teach about gambling and addiction in an age-appropriate way, as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE). The non-statutory PSHE programme of study, published by the PSHE Association includes teaching about gambling (including online) and its psychological and financial impact. There are also organisations that work with schools and children to raise awareness of the risks around gambling, including the Young Gamblers Education Trust.
We are proposing to make Health Education compulsory in all state-funded schools, which includes an emphasis on mental wellbeing for both primary and secondary pupils. Pupils should be taught how to critically evaluate when something they do or are involved in has a positive or negative effect on their own or others’ mental health. We are also making Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education compulsory in all secondary schools. We are currently consulting on the draft regulations that will make the subjects compulsory, as well as the accompanying guidance, this can be found at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/.