Gambling Education Becomes Mandatory for School Students in UK

29.03.2020, 23:09

The UK Department of Education announced that gambling studies have become compulsory. Lectures on gambling risks will become a part of the personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) study program. They will be added to the curriculum of schools all around the country from September 2020.

The idea is to educate young people on the downsides of taking chances with money. Students must understand the potential dangers of gambling. For instance, there is a high probability of developing clinical cases of addiction. Pathological gambling and severe debts are examples of the outcomes of irresponsible actions.

It may seem that gambling is an adult issue. However, research shows that it is a growing problem among adolescents, as well. It turns out that adults with unhealthy addictions have most likely started gambling in their teenage years. Besides, younger generations develop cases of addiction that are more severe than adult ones. It was noted that preventing mood and anxiety disorders with an aim to prevent addictive behaviors from an early age is crucial as well.

A lot of problems with gambling are due to the lack of awareness among consumers. Thus, it is vital to educate new generations in critical and analytical thinking. New gambling education lessons will work towards making conscious Internet users out of students. Youngsters will learn to connect the risks of online gambling with tangible consequences. Developing such skills is beneficial for all spheres of life.

Gambling as a part of the curriculum was already in plans since June 2019. It will only become mandatory at the beginning of the new school year, though. The PSHE Association has already prepared a set of lesson plans for September 2020. One of the latest study materials is the result of a collaboration with Gamble Aware. It has been available from February this year and opens up the topics of probability and risk. 

The gambling curriculum aims to provide fundamental knowledge on the matter. It allows the student to see the big picture as well. For example, recognizing risky behavior helps to prevent the development of severe addictions while the basics of marketing explain how advertising impacts our way of thinking.

Nick Gibb, minister of state for school standards, claims that such measures get students ready for adulthood. He mentions that a lot of schools already teach gambling risks, following the guidelines of the UK Department of Education existing from June 2019. However, it is crucial to make sure that every school has this class as a compulsory part of their PSHE curriculum.

Incorporating gambling education into schools will become compulsory for students in UK schools starting from September 2020. As a matter of fact, it is more of a necessity rather than a mere precaution. It will help prevent minors from developing a gambling addiction and the mental issues related to it. Lessons on gambling risks will use a comprehensive approach to the topic. They will explain to students the concept of probability, the mechanisms of debt accumulation, the psychological effects of gambling, as well as the marketing side of the matter.