There are renewed demands for the government to increase funding for school counsellors, as recent research indicates a continuing rise in student demand for mental health support.
A recent survey by Barnardos Aotearoa found that over half of schools believe the current counselling services do not adequately meet their students’ needs.
76% of schools reported a rise in students seeking counselling, an increase from 60% in 2023.
“Poverty, housing, family violence – one in eight children in New Zealand are currently living in material hardship. So, there are a lot of really significant factors contributing to what we’re seeing here,” Barnardos’ chief executive Matt Reid said.
The survey has also revealed that 17% of schools had no counsellor available, while the majority of the rest only employed one part-time counsellor.
The New Zealand Association of Counsellors has recommended a minimum of one counsellor for every 400 students; however, president Huhana Pene stated that this benchmark is far from being achieved.
“Ideally, every primary and intermediate school should have one counsellor. High schools should have two to three,” she said.