In 2012, schools have to acknowledge the fact that their teachers have more face-to-face access to teenagers than their parents. This means that schools have a responsibility for so much more than just the academic performance of the students in their charge.

Research by Professor Ian Schochet suggests that school attachment is vitally important, and could bear a stronger relationship to youth depression than even parental attachment.

I’m not saying that schools supersede the role of parents. Of course they don’t, but they do need to realise just how important a role they do play in the development of their students’ values, sense of self, behaviours and attitudes.

Schools need to ensure that students are free to learn about themselves, explore their individuality and feel valued in a safe and nurturing environment. With obesity and depression continually on the rise, schools also need to ensure that health and wellbeing is front and centre in all they do.

Schools need to ensure every member of staff subscribes to a philosophy that supports this and teacher-training institutions need to ensure that their pre-service teachers are well aware of, and prepared for the role of guiding the next generation into the 21st Century.

There will always be some teachers who believe that this falls outside their job description, and when they entered the profession, perhaps it did to a certain extent. But in 2012, no-one can approach teaching thinking that it is only a case of dispensing knowledge.

Dan Haesler will be speaking at the Mental Health & Wellbeing of Young People seminar at the Gold Coast on Friday 1 June. He is also a teacher, blogger and speaker. He writes for the Sydney Morning Herald and blogs at http://danhaesler.com/ and tweets at @danhaesler

Writer Dan Haesler. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.

Dan Haesler is a speaker at the Generation Next “Mental Health & Wellbeing of Young People 2012” at the Gold Coast