As school resumes, let’s focus on what our young people really need

By Mark Weatherall, Chief Executive, Life Education Trust NZ

As school resumes, Life Education Trust’s classroom insights reveal ongoing challenges, and solutions, in student wellbeing. Our 2025 teacher survey reveals that online bullying and anxiety remain among the top concerns. Over half (59%) of teachers identified online bullying as a current issue, while 54% rated anxiety as a serious concern for students, and a further 33% acknowledged it as a growing challenge.

While vaping is being reported less frequently than in previous years, it’s still a real issue for a third (33%) of students, according to the teachers we spoke with.

Another major concern and one that we hear time and again, is the impact of personal devices in classrooms. More than two-thirds (69%) of teachers told us that mobile phones and other personal tech are distracting students from their learning. That’s a tough challenge for teachers already stretched thin, and it’s one that speaks to the wider pressures young people are navigating today.

At Life Education Trust, we’re here to help address these challenges, not just highlight them. Our health and wellbeing education programmes are curriculum-aligned, evidence-informed, and designed to work alongside schools and teachers. Through our mobile classrooms, our Healthy Harold programme, and our Theatre in Education initiatives, we’re delivering powerful, age-appropriate learning experiences that help tamariki and rangatahi build resilience, understand their emotions, and make safer, more informed choices.

Our approach is about meeting young people where they’re at and supporting them to understand their identity, manage their relationships, and think critically about the influences around them, including digital media, peer pressure, and substance use. And we do this in a way that encourages ongoing kōrero between students and their teachers, extending the impact of each session.

We know these issues can’t be solved with one-off lessons or quick fixes. But we also know that when schools, educators, and communities work together, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of young people.

As we step into another school year, I believe we must prioritise wellbeing as a core part of education and not as an optional extra. Academic success matters, but not without the social and emotional tools we all need to thrive.

Our research and feedback from principals and teachers show the positive impact when wellbeing is prioritised. Now, it’s time to make that the norm across every school, in every region, for every student.