Toxic Education

How Schools Are Damaging Young People’s Health and Wellbeing and How We Can Fix Them

Chris Bonell

• Publisher: Policy Press
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781447375333
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Young people's mental health is in crisis, with many – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – struggling academically and with the later transition to employment. Feeling excluded, many young people turn to harmful behaviours, such as vaping and alcohol use, for escape and a sense of belonging.

Schools are increasingly expected to address these issues but often lack the time and expertise to do so effectively. Based on the author's research, including the successful 'Learning Together' trial – an innovative programme that improved mental health, reduced bullying and raised academic achievement – this book provides a blueprint for a fundamental shift in how schools support young people.

Essential reading for teachers, public health workers and policy makers tackling the health and educational inequalities affecting young people today.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• About the author
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Introduction: how schools can seriously damage young people’s health
• 2 Toxic experiences: what young people say about schools
• 3 Toxic trends and patterns: data on young people’s health
• 4 Toxic policy? Education policy and its consequences
• 5 Health interventions in schools as sticking plasters
• 6 The Learning Together intervention: effective school detox in England
• 7 International examples of effective school detox
• 8 What works, for whom and where
• 9 Detoxifying education policy
• 10 Conclusion: detoxifying education
• References
• Index