A presentation about the importance of carrying out mental health programmes in primary schools

1. The effectiveness of mental health
programmes on primary school
students
Evangelia Pappa
Primary School English Teacher

2. Why is it important to conduct mental
health programmes at Primary
Schools?
• Living in a society that insecurity and lack of hope
can test the strength and limits of adults and
children alike . They are both expected to manage
intense emotions and situations.
• Developing managerial strategies of handling
these emotions and strengthening empathy, the
absolutely necessary social skill to experience
other people’s feelings, has become very vivid,
indeed!
Evangelia Pappa

3. Inclusive Education : ‘ a school for all’
• The Salamanca Statement of Unesco (1994)
• Greek Legislation on Special Education(3699/2008)
These are some of the documents that utter the urge
for accessibility for all and encompass:
 Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983)
 Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence (1995)
Evangelia Pappa

4. What can school teachers do?
 School teachers are neither magicians nor
specialists : they cannot and will not replace
mental health practitioners.
They can
• attend in-training special seminars in
managing emotions.
• have mental health programmes incorporated
into the classroom
Evangelia Pappa

5. 36 mental health programmes were carried
out in Primary Schools on the islands of the
Cyclades in 2018-2019
• Teachers act as facilitators/co-ordinators
carrying out sessions imitating the principles
of a group therapy session :
and rely on
setting clear limits
confidentiality
respect
Evangelia Pappa

6. ‘Magic Circles’ : they work like magic!
• Children share their feelings, talk about
what they like and what they do not like,
what they can do, talk about their
dreams. They role-play and have fun!
• Sharing is the path that leads to the
realization of being together, playing
together, and working together in a
team.
Evangelia Pappa

7. • As Maya Angelou very aptly
put it:“I’ve learned that
people will forget what you
said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never
forget how you made them
feel”. Let’s make children feel
nice about themselves in a
stress-free environment and
help them become more
balanced in all aspects of
their lives.
Evangelia Pappa

8. References
• Creswell, J., (2015). Η Έρευνα στην
Εκπαίδευση. (Κουβαράκου, Ν.,
Μεταφρ.)Αθήνα: Εκδοτικός Όμιλος Ίων.
• Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind.The
Theory of Multiple Intelligences. NewYork:
BasicBooks.
• Goleman, D., (1995). Η Συναισθηματική
Νοημοσύνη ( Παπασταύρου Ά., Μεταφρ.).
Αθήνα: Πεδίο.
• Θεοδοσάκης, Δ., (2011). Η συναισθηματική
νοημοσύνη στο σύγχρονο σχολείο. Αθήνα:
Εκδόσεις Γρηγόρη.
• Ο Νόμος για την Ειδική Αγωγή Ν.3699/2008
https://edu.klimaka.gr/sxoleia/eidikh-
agwgh/2047-eidiki-agwgh-ekpaidevsh-
atomwn-me-anaphria-kai-eidikes-
ekpaidevtikes-anagkes
• Πλατσίδου, Μ. (2010). Η συναισθηματική
νοημοσύνη. Αθήνα: Gutenberg.
• Salzberger-Wittenberg, I., Henry, G.
&Osborne, E., (1983), Η συναισθηματική
εμπειρία της μάθησης και της διδασκαλίας
(Τζελέπογλου, Ελ, Μεταφρ).Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις
Καστανιώτη.
• Schiller, P., (2009). Τα θεμέλια της σχολικής
επιτυχίας. (Τουτουντζή, Ο., Μεταφρ.) Αθήνα:
Διόπτρα.
• Sousa, D. A. (2011).How the brain learns (4th
ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
• Σώκου, Κ., (2003). Η Προαγωγή της Ψυχικής
και Κοινωνικής Υγείας ως Πολιτική
ΠρόληψηςτηςΒίαςστοΣχολείο.http://assets.in
.gr/dGenesis/assets/Content202/Attachment
/dgEntity_33212.doc
• UNESCO (1994).The Salamanca Statement
and Framework for Action on Special Needs
Education.Paris: Unesco
Thank you !
Evangelia Pappa