Bold Politics with Zack Polanski How An Education System Became A Mental Health Crisis | Natasha Devon | Zack Polanski
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Nov 11, 2025 Natasha Devon, an experienced journalist and mental health advocate, dives into the pressing issues facing the UK’s education system. She discusses the critical need for reform to foster information literacy and critical thinking among students. Natasha highlights how recent curriculum changes correlate with rising mental health concerns among youth. The conversation also touches on the challenges of digital silos affecting young people's social interactions, and the importance of cultivating empathetic dialogue to shift narratives.
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Teach Information Hygiene Not Rote Facts
- Memorising facts for exams is less useful in an information-rich world; students need skills to verify and interrogate information.
- Schools should teach 'information hygiene' and scientific literacy to spot manipulation and false claims.
Rebuild Curriculum Around Child Needs
- Scrap the 1980s curriculum and rebuild it around child psychology, neurodivergence and wellbeing.
- Make education fit for a post-technological world with active listening and debate skills.
Exam Factory Roots Of Student Distress
- Michael Gove's reforms removed much coursework, turning GCSE preparation into years of high-stakes single-day exams.
- This exam factory approach narrows learning and penalises students who don't test well.
