It is hard to quantify accurately. But a rough estimate would be ... loads of them. Now psychologist Oliver James has raised doubts that challenge the wisdom of it, following the story of teenager Brian Blackwell.
Blackwell is serving life in prison after admitting manslaughter of his parents. He was not charged with murder because experts agreed he was suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. James told Newsnight that quite a few people in public life suffer from the same disorder.
That was a bit of jokey relief in a brutal story. On the serious side, he also pointed to research showing that people with high self-esteem are much more at risk of being extremely aggressive. Those with unrealistic self-esteem have an increased chance of becoming violent if they are challenged about their capacities.
He expanded his theory in The Times. He told readers: "Studies have shown that this inflated esteem is promoted when parents tell their children that they are wonderful, regardless of the truth."
Is this evidence for a change of direction in esteem strategy? Will there be a rush to gain funding for projects designed to lower self-esteem? Watch out for youth workers uttering the words: "Don't listen to what your parents tell you. To be honest, you're useless."
There was a court battle last week between education chiefs in Islington, north London, and Channel 4. The council was trying to stop the broadcast of a Dispatches programme filmed secretly in two Islington secondary schools.
The documentary was filmed using hidden cameras at four schools around the country by a journalist masquerading as a supply teacher.
There is something more than a little weird about these secret exposes of perfectly accessible schools. Penetrating and filming within a secure military unit or within a criminal gang, for example, is understandable. But it is hard to see why anyone needs to covertly film what is an open and everyday experience for hundreds of thousands of young people.
It is a measure of how little young people are listened to that programme-makers feel the need to devise devious clandestine investigations. If someone wants to know what secondary schools are like, why don't they just ask young people?
