Gambling: Education

Question

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/.