The Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns have left primary school children feeling stressed, anxious and uncertain, principals say. Photo / Getty Images
The Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns have left primary school children feeling stressed, anxious and uncertain, principals say. Photo / Getty Images
The Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns have left primary pupils feeling stressed, anxious and uncertain, principals say.
School guidance counsellors are urgently needed at a primary-school level to help pupils adjust to upheavals in their school, social and home lives due to the global pandemic and to avoid long-lasting harm,they say.
Currently, pupils generally don't have access to school guidance counsellors until they reach high school.
After completing 260 one-on-one interviews of students enrolling at John Paul College last week, principal Patrick Walsh said it was evident primary pupils had faced high levels of stress, anxiety, upset and loss of appetite since the Covid-19 lockdown.
Fourteen Rotorua schools were represented during the interviews and Walsh said students from every school would benefit from guidance counselling. He was calling for the Ministry of Education to prioritise children's mental health by giving every school in New Zealand access to school guidance counsellors.
"It seems to me that these young children in our primary schools need the availability of counsellors like high schools," Walsh said.
John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh. Photo / File
The Ministry of Education's deputy secretary education system policy Andrea Schollman said the Government did not provide funding for guidance staffing to primary schools, but did so for all schools with Year 9-13 students.
"The Ministry of Education is aware that the demand for counselling in schools is growing," she said.
"Providing age-appropriate counselling to primary school-aged students is not the same as providing counselling to secondary school age students. Nevertheless, we recognise that there is interest in increasing access to counselling in the primary sector and that there are community organisations already operating that provide these services."
Eleven Bay of Plenty schools had applied for the support under the Government's $50 million Urgent Response Fund, announced in July to address wellbeing needs of learners in early learning, schools and kura arising from Covid-19.
Three applications came from early learning providers and eight from schools. Two applications had been approved for funding, seven were pending review and two were declined. Rotorua Intermediate School uses part of the school's operational fund for a qualified guidance counsellor and two student mentors. Principal Garry de Thierry said the fact that primary schools did not receive funding to have qualified guidance counsellors on staff was letting students that needed that support down.
Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry. Photo / File
Intermediate-aged children were already dealing with physical, emotional and social changes. The addition of Covid-19-impacted life changes was "creating a huge amount of anxiety" among his students, he said.
During lockdown some children saw their parents stressed for the first time, some saw their parents arguing for the first time, he said.
They were also unable to socialise with friends or participate in sports and their school routines had been disrupted.
"It's a changing world out there ... students are being exposed to new things earlier."
The school's lead counsellor Susan Gera said she "absolutely" believed all schools should have access to qualified guidance counsellors. Covid-19 had compounded issues children were facing and brought new issues to the core.
"I think it's very, very warranted ... the sooner we get in and start to try to support these kids the better," Gera said.
"We need counsellors and qualified registered social workers, other professionals like that in primary schools."
Some families were experiencing hardship for the first time and those already struggling were feeling it more acutely.
"We just need to be vigilant and make sure these kids know they have support and, by the same token, we need to make sure these families know that they're supported as well."
She said only having guidance counsellors on staff at high school was like having "an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff".
"By that time some of the values and beliefs and behaviours are far more entrenched."
Rotorua Intermediate School guidance counsellor Susan Gera says primary-aged children need professional support to help them through traumas caused by Covid-19. Photo / Andrew Warner
Westbrook School principal Colin Watkins said Covid-19 had brought the need for guidance counsellors in primary schools to the surface again. He said teachers were able to identify issues in students but believed the Government needed to invest in supporting whole families and ensuring there were enough skilled people to be able to help.
In July, Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced a $75.8 million boost for better access to counsellors to help primary and secondary students deal with mental health and wellbeing issues. It is the first time primary schools have had access to funding for counsellors for students.
The funding included $31.8m to increase large secondary schools' guidance staffing entitlement and $44m to contract community organisations to provide guidance counselling to both primary and secondary students. The services will start next year for four years at schools most affected by the economic downturn from Covid-19, with local counselling organisations delivering these services when identified.
The Ministry of Education's deputy secretary education system policy Andrea Schollman said, "We will establish criteria to ensure support gets to the students who most need it. This funding will not provide for national coverage." Where to get help? Free 24/7 National Anxiety Helpline (0800 ANXIETY; 0800 269 4389), Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7), Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7), Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7), Youthline: 0800 376 633, Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7), Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm), Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7). If it is an emergency and you feel you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
