Blitz spirit

AS A child of the London Blitz, I was bombed out of my home and school and lost friends. My life was turned upside down. fathers were away fighting and mums had to cope.

Today, we are being told that one in eight young people are suffering with their mental health and experts are

being brought into schools to help (Mail). If my generation coped with all the destruction going on around us, and no one gave us any help with our mental health, why do today’s children need this?

Are we making youngsters incapable of coping with a little hardship in life?

PAT STEWART,

New Romney, Kent.

THE Government is trying to address the issue of children’s mental health only after plenty of schools recognised this huge problem many years ago.

We have allowed the situation to get to crisis point before wringing our hands.

Fifteen years ago, with the full support of a headteacher who was passionate about ensuring the emotional wellbeing of students, I employed a full-time counsellor at a large comprehensive school in London.

The school was praised for its proactive and effective interventions, and parents valued the support they and their children received.

The money was well spent, as witnessed by the children’s behaviour and well-being, and the results they obtained.

However, children’s mental health should not be dependent on schools finding money out of their budgets to provide support.

SUSAN FELLA,

Enfield, Gtr London.