Minister: higher education must focus on student mental health

THE main purpose of universities is no longer learning, the higher education minister has said, as he calls for a greater focus on mental health issues.

Sam Gyimah said that universities must deliver emotional support to students alongside academic courses in order to “fulfil [their] purpose”.

Asked whether university staff should be responsible for students’ pastoral care, he said: “I think the crux of this issue is that some traditional vice-chancellors see the prime purpose of their university as training of the mind. This is no longer the case.

“In fact, it’s about so much more. The pastoral care for students has to be there as well for a university to fulfil its full purpose.”

He told Centre Write, the quarterly magazine of Bright Blue, an independent liberal conservative think tank, that universities should be acting loco parentis, but added that this “doesn’t mean infantilising students – it is about ensuring they have the right services available to them”.

Mr Gyimah said there are many factors that exacerbate mental health problems at university, and told of one student who struggled with anxiety and depression in their first year. “[The

‘Some ... vice-chancellors see the prime purpose of their university as training of the mind. It is no longer the case’

student] told me that it was the first time they were living away from home and were expected to fulfil completely independent study – so they were worried about fitting in, about getting their work done on time and even finding a partner,” Mr Gyimah said.

“I think this is one of the problems with finding the right approach to giving students the mental health support they need – so many different factors could be at play.”

Earlier this year, Mr Gyimah told universities that they risk “failing a generation of students” unless they take action to prevent a looming mental health crisis. He urged vice-chancellors to make the mental health of their students a “top priority”.

Mental health is now considered one of the biggest challenges facing the sector, with 94 per cent of institutions reporting an increased demand for the services in recent years.

Mr Gyimah said he intends to publish a University Mental Health Charter to promote mental wellbeing at universities. The charter will be drawn up by a number of key university partners, including Student Minds, the mental health charity, and the Office for Students, the regulator.

It will require universities to adopt a baseline of good practice, including early intervention and closer working links with local health services.