Good Mental Health is the Foundation for Real Learning

“We invest in learning, but not the learner.”

After decades spent focusing on the “inputs” of education… training, curricula, “child-friendly” schools -- I have come to recognise a more fundamental question:

What good is a world-class education system if the child sitting in the classroom is anxious, traumatised, or hungry?

In November 2021, the world was in the grip of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It was a frightening time as the world closed in on itself; however, if there is ever a silver lining to such a catastrophic event, it was that more attention was being placed on the damaging effects of isolation and loneliness, inequity in its many forms, and mental health, factors that continue to shape whether children enter, remain in, or are excluded from education systems.

Around the same time, the mental health conversation was starting to crack through the surface. Athletes and celebrities were speaking out. 

But for me, it wasn’t a headline that hit hardest, it was when a friend’s mental health took a /serious turn.

I found myself asking hard questions: Had I been missing something all along?  Had I focused so heavily on improving education systems and academic outcomes that I’d forgotten the child at the centre of it all?

In many ways, this is a question the global education community continues to confront.

The Science Confirmed What I Felt

Neuroscience gave language to what many practitioners in education and child development have long observed: When a child is dealing with chronic stress, their brain flips into survival mode. That’s not just a metaphor. That’s biology.

And a brain in survival mode isn’t learning. It’s trying to stay safe.

Take Maria, a third-grader in Guatemala. Brilliant child. Unfortunately, she couldn't focus during math lessons. Turns out, she was walking two hours to school through areas where violence was common. Her brain was scanning for threats, not processing multiplication tables.

For many children just like Maria, these barriers do not only affect learning, they determine whether education is accessible at all.

When a child is struggling emotionally, cognitively, or socially, they’re not just behind on academics. They’re locked out of learning altogether.

It is critical that we stop separating learning and well-being. They’re not separate agendas. They’re two parts of the same mission, and central to making sure children can access, stay in, and benefit from education.

The Scale of the Challenge: This Task Is Bigger Than We Thought

Poverty. Food insecurity. Violence at home, at school, or on the way to school.

These aren't fringe issues. They are the daily reality for millions. And they take a toll.

If we’re serious about equity in education, we can’t just focus on better textbooks. We need to focus on better emotional ecosystems through integrated that bring together education, health, protection and community engagement.

That means rethinking everything, together with stakeholders; from school budgets to community partnerships to teacher training. The need is immediate.

Because when mental health thrives, learning does too.

Movement Fuels the Mind

Many parents and teachers believe students should sit quietly, still, and passively. But neuroscience and education research suggest something radically different: the human brain thrives on movement.

This has important implications not only for how children learn, but for how education systems are designed, particularly in under-resourced and crisis-affected contexts.

In many contexts, education systems are not yet aligned with how children learn best. We ask students to sit still when their brains are designed to move. Too often, physical activity is treated as separate from learning, when it is actually a catalyst for it. The result? Sluggish minds, disengaged learners, and missed potential.

But what if movement is actually a cornerstone of learning?

Movement Builds the Brain (Literally)

Physical activity grows new brain cells, especially in the hippocampus, the area of the brain linked to memory and learning. 

Studies show children who are regularly active have more developed brain regions tied to focus and emotional regulation; outcomes that are directly linked to improved information processing, retention and learning.

Early in my career, I too used to prioritise quiet classrooms and still bodies. Now, I understand that a quiet classroom might not be a learning one.

Movement Fuels Cognition

From neuroscience to psychology, research confirms: movement fuels cognition.

Physical activity boosts executive functions, such as:

• Focus and sustained attention
• Working memory
• Planning
• Cognitive flexibility and self-regulation

Movement isn't about burning off excess energy. It's about priming the brain for higher-order thinking.

When students move, they are not stepping away from learning. They are reinforcing the brain architecture that enables learning.

Movement Supports Emotional Regulation

Physical activity doesn't just shape how we think... it changes how we feel.

It increases the release of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, chemicals that lift mood and reduce anxiety. It also decreases cortisol, the stress hormone.

Movement is, therefore, one of the most reliable ways to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression, barriers to learning, creativity, and connection.

A regulated body fosters a regulated mind. And regulated minds are more ready to learn.

Honouring the Biology of Learning

In developing countries or low-resource environments, movement is one of the most accessible and effective supports we can offer. It doesn't require expensive equipment, just intention and consistency, making it a practical and scalable approach in contexts where resources are constrained and needs may be greatest.

We need sharper minds, engaged classrooms, and more joyful schools now. We must understand how learning really happens. It doesn't start at the blackboard or in the textbook; it starts in the body.

Movement is not a luxury. It's not extracurricular.

It's the ignition switch for learning.

We must start by honouring the biology of learning.

Michael Cacich

Michael Cacich is the Technical Head for East and Southern Africa at the Education Above All Foundation’s Educate A Child Programme. With more than 40 years of experience working across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States, he works to strengthen education systems so that no child is denied the right to quality education. He is also a member of the Olympic Refuge Foundation Think Tank.