Adelaide Schools Expand Mindfulness Programs to Help Students Manage Stress

More than a dozen Adelaide state schools began formal mindfulness classes in term two this year, with sessions held twice weekly in classrooms and outdoor spaces.

The rollout follows a 2025 state education report that flagged rising anxiety levels among primary students, prompting the Department for Education to fund short breathing and attention exercises in the timetable. Schools report the programs fit between existing literacy blocks and use no extra equipment beyond mats stored in each room.

Programs active in Unley and North Adelaide

Unley Primary School on Wattle Street runs a 12-week course for years four to six that combines seated breathing with short walks along the adjacent Linear Park trail. Glenelg Primary School, two blocks from the beach, added mindfulness before morning assembly after staff noticed lunch-time arguments drop when children practise two-minute focus drills. Both schools drew on materials developed by the Adelaide Mindfulness Network, a local group that supplies free lesson plans to any public school that requests them.

Teachers at both sites received two days of training at the Botanic Gardens education centre in May, where instructors demonstrated how to lead short outdoor sessions among the eucalypts near the Goodman Building. Parents can view the weekly lesson outlines on each school’s portal.

Numbers and next steps for families

A University of South Australia evaluation released last month tracked 1,800 students across 14 Adelaide schools and recorded a 19 percent drop in reported worry scores after eight weeks of the program. The evaluation also noted average session cost at $12 per child for printed guides and a single teacher release day. Schools outside the initial group can apply for the same funding round that closes on 1 August.

Families wanting to try the approach at home can join free Saturday morning sessions run by the same network at the Botanic Gardens parkrun meeting point, where children practise alongside parents before the weekly run. Enquiries go through the school office or the Department for Education website under student wellbeing grants.