Education on gambling will soon become a compulsory element of the PSHE curriculum.
From September 2020, education on gambling will become a compulsory element of the UK Department of Education’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) school curriculum.
At the start of the next school year, schools will be required, by law, to teach children about the risks associated with gambling, such as developing addiction and the potential to create financial debt through gambling.
Educating on gambling
The guidelines on the new curriculum were initially published in June 2019, and although the Department of Education advised schools to adopt these last September, it will now become compulsory.
The new curriculum will serve as part of a broader effort to endure that young people are aware and educated on the similarities between the online and physical realms and will aim to help make them a more cautious consumer of online information.
In order to support the new curriculum, the PSHE Association, which provides teachers with advice, resources and training, has developed a series of lesson plans which incorporate the new curriculum. In late February, the Association’s most recent lesson plan was published in partnership with GambleAware.
Why will gambling education become compulsary?
Minister of state for school standards, Nick Gibb has said that the Department wants to help schools ensure that young people are equipped with the knowledge to prepare them for adulthood, this includes the risks that come with harmful behavior, as well as addiction.
Gibb said: “Many schools, through existing Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, already teach about the dangers of gambling – including the psychological and financial impact. But I want to ensure every child understands the risks, which is why we are making Health Education – including issues such as addiction and cumulative debt – compulsory from September.”
This news comes after the Gambling Commission issued a record breaking fine to the online gambling company Betway, for several regulatory failings linked to problem gambling and money laundering.
