Our children are crying inside: Why schools must take mental health seriously
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A learner can attend classes, submit assignments on time, perform well academically, and appear disciplined, yet silently struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, or overwhelming stress. Many children suffer unnoticed until their mental health begins affecting their behaviour, relationships, and academic performance.
Uganda can no longer treat mental health as an adult problem. The State of Uganda Population Report 2025 describes mental health as a "silent emergency," estimating that 24.2% of adults and 22.9% of children are affected by mental health conditions. Clinicians at Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital have also documented significant emotional and psychological challenges among school-going children, underscoring that this crisis is already unfolding in classrooms, not just homes.
Why are more learners struggling?
Children's mental health is shaped by multiple factors, including family conflict, separation, divorce, economic hardship, neglect, and prolonged parental absence. Social media has intensified pressure through constant comparison, cyberbullying, and unrealistic expectations. Within schools, academic pressure, bullying, social exclusion, harsh disciplinary approaches, and excessive focus on grades can leave learners overwhelmed instead of supported.
Schools must become part of the solution
Schools are uniquely positioned to identify and respond to mental health challenges early. They should create safe environments where learners can speak openly without fear of stigma. Teachers need basic training to recognise emotional distress and refer learners appropriately, while counselling services should be visible and accessible — not tucked away as an afterthought. Bullying, abuse, and all forms of harassment must be addressed firmly and consistently, not only when a case becomes public.
Schools should also strengthen mentorship, sports, music, drama, and peer-support programmes that build resilience and a sense of belonging. A learner who feels seen in a drama club or on a football pitch is often the same learner who will speak up before a crisis, rather than after one. Strong partnerships between schools and parents are equally essential; a child's mental health cannot be outsourced entirely to either institution.
Beyond academic excellence
Educational success should not be measured by grades alone. The schools of the future must nurture emotionally healthy, resilient, and hopeful learners. Our children need schools that notice, listen, care, and support them, because protecting their mental health is a shared responsibility.
The writer is the Executive Director of Hope Regeneration Africa, Parenting Coach, Marriage Counsellor, and Founder of the Men of Purpose Mentorship Programme.