Mr. Darragh Rawson:

The past two years have proved especially difficult for young people and secondary schools are seeing the direct results of the pandemic in students each day. Issues such as technology addiction, reduced attention spans, social anxiety and even the prevalence of American accents among young people exist as a result of the amount of time spent online. Our school is in the fortunate position to have a school counsellor on site for two and a half days a week. While this is a wonderful support for our students and teachers, it is not adequate. A school with almost 1,000 students must have access to a trained counsellor five days a week. As with a physical injury, a mental health issue often requires immediate intervention and help to offer the student the best support possible. This counsellor should have a quiet office in a discreet part of the school building where students can seek help in a confidential manner. Students should also be able to access the service themselves and perhaps have access to a dedicated email address or text number to request support. Mental health issues cannot wait and when a child makes the brave decision to ask for help, that help must be available, immediate and effective.