Plans to introduce fly-in fly-out psychologists at rural and remote schools around the state has been applauded by the peak union for teachers.
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But the NSW Teachers Federation still says more needs to be done to prioritise the deteriorating mental health of students outside the major cities.
The NSW government will spend $88.4 million to ensure every public high school has access to one full-time counsellor or psychologist, and one student support officer.
It will also make fly-in psychologists permanent at schools from 2021.
Riverina organiser of the NSW Teachers Federation, John Pratt, described the announcement as "certainly better than nothing", but said the best results would come through training specific teachers to be counsellors.
"School-based counsellors need at least two years' experience in the classroom as trained teachers," Mr Pratt said.
"We need counsellors that have been in the classroom, who know what the constraints of the classroom are and how a school is run.
"[But] we have to be pragmatic. Psychology in any form is better than nothing."
In other education news:
In the wake of the drought, bushfires and now the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Pratt said schools have been "crying out" for psychological support services and would welcome the state government's announcement for that reason.
"The cold, hard reality is schools in the Riverina and western district of NSW will gladly accept any support they are given because it just hasn't been there before," he said.
"A few years back in a high school in the western Riverina, there were four students on the critical watch list and they each had only two days with the psychologist per term. It doesn't work out."
The conversation has become particularly topical this week as schools grapple with the fallout of a horrendous social media attack on youth mental health.
Online predators have reportedly been using thumbnails of cute animals on TikTok to lure teens into watching a graphic video of a man taking his own life.
The video was originally circulated on Facebook before it was taken down and re-posted on the popular youth-targeting app.
It is an action that has been condemned by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as he warned parents to monitor their children's online activities.
"No child should be exposed to horrifying content like this," Mr Morrison said on Wednesday.
"Platforms like TikTok need to put in more resources to detect and tear down this sort of harmful content. That is their responsibility."
In other news:
While a horrendous example to use, Mr Pratt said the confronting footage is testament to how much classroom teachers and parents are having to deal with to keep their students safe online.
"We need genuinely qualified and capable people to help manage the needs of our students. Every single student in NSW is entitled to care and support," he said.
"I don't want to even speculate on what could happen when someone who is well-meaning offers advice. That quiet word might be just what the need but the wrong word could be devastating.
"Teachers are only to triage the response, if a student says they are not doing well, it is then a matter of calling in support from a professional."
If you or someone you know needs help, contact:
- Lifeline - 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467
- Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800
- MensLine Australia - 1300 78 99 78