Why mental fitness could become a classroom staple in Australian schools

A growing push to make mental fitness as routine as maths and English in Australian schools is gaining momentum.

Gotcha4Life founder Gus Worland has called for children to be taught the emotional skills needed to navigate life’s challenges, arguing mental fitness deserves a permanent place in schools.

“Let’s make mental fitness a subject in schools because there’s plenty of subjects that are just ticking the box now for you to get through school,” he told The Morning Show.

The call comes as expressions of interest open for the 2027 intake of Gotcha4Life’s Mentally Fit Schools program, which is already operating in more than 60 schools.

The three-year initiative works with primary school students, teachers and families to embed mental fitness into everyday school life rather than relying on occasional wellbeing sessions.

Worland said teaching those skills early was crucial, with half of all mental health challenges emerging before the age of 14, according to the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

“That’s incredibly concerning ... they haven’t got the emotional muscle to really talk about it,” Worland said.

“So, if you’re not quite sure what to do, you stop, and you freeze, and you go, ‘I hope someone changes the subject’ and you move on.”

Gotcha4Life will mark its 10th anniversary next year, with Worland aiming to double the number of schools involved in the program by the end of 2027.

“We’re in over 60 schools now, and we want to have 120 schools by the end of next year which allows us to build that emotional muscle for the little ones,” he said.

Each participating school is partnered with a dedicated Mental Fitness Educator for three years, allowing the program to reach children as well as the adults supporting them.

“You don’t want it to be something that pops in every now and again,” Worland said.

“You want to be in the school and invested in the school and not just with the kids. You want to do it for the teachers and also the parents.

“So we’re in there for three years, and there’s one facilitator that looks after that particular school, and they talk to the parents, they talk to the teachers and they talk to the kids.”

The program is designed to fit within schools’ existing professional learning time and aligns with the Australian Curriculum and relevant state curriculums, limiting the additional burden on already stretched teachers.

Worland said the aim was to create a shared language around mental health that could be reinforced both at school and at home.

“Little ones are sponges. They love it. They get excited by it,” he said.

“The teachers get excited by it as well because they don’t have to teach it.

“Then parents, they need to come on board too because we don’t want when they come home for it all to fall apart.”

Early evaluation findings indicate the whole-school approach is making an impact after just one year.

Of the teachers surveyed, 93 per cent identified new opportunities to practise mental fitness in their classrooms, while 92 per cent of students understood how connection and belonging supported their mental fitness.

A further 90 per cent of parents felt better equipped to support their child’s mental fitness at home.

“The highlight of this program for me is that it removes the stigma around mental health,” a teacher from Plumpton Public School said.

“It promotes open conversations among staff and students, with the knowledge that every feeling is completely normal and it helps students to then realise their feelings are OK and express them.”

The NSW Department of Education and NSW Ministry of Health have jointly funded places for 20 regional primary schools to participate in the program.

The investment will allow 10 schools in the Central West and another 10 in the South Coast and Illawarra regions to join the three-year initiative.

NSW Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson said the expansion would help ensure children living outside metropolitan areas could access the same preventative support.

“We’re proud to support the expansion of this program into regional NSW, to help more students, parents and teachers develop a shared language about mental health and the skills they need to tackle life’s challenges,” she said.

Worland said the response from school communities demonstrated an appetite for mental fitness education to become a lasting part of children’s learning.

“When the kids come up to me and they’re singing their mental fitness song ... it gives a real positive vibe and culture for the school.”

Fully funded places are available for eligible schools, with primary school principals and leaders able to register their interest through the Gotcha4Life website.