Government urged to fund more counsellors for schools

Te Tūtanga Kaiwhiriwhiri I Wātū, Counselling Workforce report, recommends increasing the ratio of counsellors in schools to at least one counsellor for every 400 students.

“Systemically, schools have a lack of sustainable funding for wellbeing coordinators, pastoral deans, and health teams,” says Steve McCracken, chair of the Secondary Principals’ Council.

“The school counsellor is usually the only mental health support available, but there is often a long time to see them in anything but a dire emergency. Being able to support our ākonga with early and low-level intervention is best for their wellbeing and their ability to engage in learning.”

The Government could make this a priority immediately by diverting funds for charter schools to funding more counsellors for schools.

“How can the Education Minister justify funding French language schools and classical academies when more than 80% of teachers around the motu are reporting an increase in mental health issues with their students?

“The money being spent on charter schools could instead fund thousands of teachers or a counselling team in every secondary school in the country. This would give us an increase from one counsellor for every thousand students to about one for every 170 students.”

The report found that 40% of people seeking counselling was related to neurodiversity, which was a substantial unmet need in secondary schools around the motu.

“We know that neurodivergent students thrive best when schools provide inclusive, responsive, and well-supported environments.

“Every young person in Aotearoa New Zealand deserves a secondary education which meets their pastoral and learning needs, enabling them to thrive.”