Surge in student Mental Health Needs Strained as Funding Dries Up
A growing crisis in youth mental health is colliding with dwindling financial support for crucial services within Dutch secondary schools, leaving educators and advocates fearing a meaningful decline in available care. Over the past five years, schools have dramatically increased staffing dedicated to supporting students struggling with mental health challenges, but the future of these programs is now uncertain as pandemic-era funding expires. This decline in support comes amidst a broader trend of increasing mental health issues among young people – a decline that predates the COVID-19 pandemic.Schools are responding, but increasingly find themselves on precarious financial footing.
From One to Three: The Growing Need at Segbroek College
At Segbroek College in The Hague, the number of dedicated care workers has tripled in recent years, rising from one full-time employee to three. These professionals address issues extending beyond academic performance, providing support to students grappling with loneliness, performance anxiety, and depression. This expansion mirrors a national trend.
Nationwide, the number of full-time positions dedicated to student support – encompassing interventions like fear of failure training, psychological assistance, and therapy – has surged by 84 percent, from 636 in 2019 to 1,169 in 2024. This significant increase demonstrates the escalating need for mental health resources within the education system.
The End of Pandemic Funding Creates a Critical Gap
The expansion of these support services has largely been fueled by funding from the NPO (National Education Program), a temporary government initiative established during the pandemic to address learning loss and provide student support. With the NPO program now concluded, schools are facing a significant financial shortfall.
As 2015, obligation for youth care has rested with municipalities. However,Nathalie Kramers of the Association of dutch Municipalities (VNG) asserts that municipalities lack the financial capacity to fill the void left by the NPO funds. “We cannot make that happen financially,” she stated, adding that municipalities have consistently received insufficient government funding for youth care initiatives.
Pressure on Teachers and the Limits of School resources
The potential loss of dedicated support staff raises concerns about increased pressure on teachers, who are not equipped to handle complex psychological issues. Henk Hagoort, chairman of the secondary education council, believes that the disappearance of the NPO budget will inevitably lead to additional responsibilities falling to educators. “The pressure on schools will only increase,” he warned.
School administrators acknowledge the vital role of specialized mental health professionals. “Schools are not healthcare institutions,” a Rotterdam school administrator emphasized.”specialist youth care remains indispensable for complex problems.” A director in Utrecht echoed this sentiment, noting that while schools can address performance-related stress, more serious issues often stem from deeper underlying causes.
A Call for Collaborative, group-Based Solutions
Experts are advocating for a more collaborative approach between schools and youth care services, with a focus on early intervention and group support. Hagoort proposes that schools identify students in need and refer them to targeted programs, while youth care organizations could offer group therapy sessions for students facing similar challenges.
Youth Care Netherlands supports this approach, emphasizing the need for shared responsibility. Schools could provide space for group sessions, but both organizations stress the necessity of dedicated funding to facilitate these initiatives.
Structural Funding Needed,Not “Loose Pots” of Money
Kramers of the VNG is urging the government to provide schools with lasting,long-term funding rather than relying on temporary subsidies. “Many separate pots of temporary money go to education. We say: bundle that and make it structural. Then education knows where it stands.”
The ministry of health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) acknowledges the concerns raised by schools and municipalities, but maintains that the distribution of funds remains the responsibility of individual municipalities.A ministry spokesperson indicated that there are currently no plans to allocate additional funding beyond existing budgets, though acknowledged that policy changes are always possible.
The future of student mental health support in Dutch secondary schools hangs in the balance, dependent on a commitment to sustainable funding and collaborative solutions. Without it, a growing crisis risks overwhelming an already strained system, leaving vulnerable students without the care they desperately need.
