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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 11th, 2023

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  • I really hope they don’t cut the Counselling in Schools programme.

    A scheme that provides counselling in more than 200 primary schools makes distressed children feel better, improves behaviour, and raises attendance.

    An Education Review Office (ERO) report - published today - provides evidence that Counselling in Schools, a $44-million scheme introduced in 2021, worked well.

    Teachers told review officers the scheme reduced disciplinary problems and children who received counselling were less likely to “punch first, talk later”.

    Encouragingly, eight in 10 students report improved psychological health after receiving counselling, and students with the most psychological distress have the largest improvement. Of the 71 percent of students who entered counselling reaching the clinical cut-off for distress, almost half no longer reach the cut-off for psychological distress at the end of counselling. This is a very positive outcome."

    This seems to be one of the most effective mental health initiatives of recent times and hits a number of National’s supposed priorities. Unfortunately though I don’t have much faith that they’ll keep investing in it.