Students mental health a big issue in Australian schools
One in seven young Australians are diagnosed with a mental illness, and this makes schools an important place to do mental health work. However, the low ratio of school counsellors and psychologists to students – for example one counsellor is available for every 750 students in NSW public schools – means there is difficulty for students to access these services.
Consequently, teachers are often seen as front-line mental health providers by default, and this has risen particularly since the start of the pandemic.
So what is reasonable to expect of teachers when it comes to students’ mental health?
The Wire’s Aryana Mohmood spoke with Senior Research Fellow with the School of Education at Charles Sturt University, Sarah Redshaw to find out more…