Ms Annie Sheppard:

More funding and timetabling provision for one on one or buddy programmes for students experiencing difficulties are needed. A standardised LGBTQI+ support strategy should be in place in schools to ensure full equality and access to all students. This includes, but is not limited to gender-neutral bathrooms and changing rooms, a choice in terms of what gender uniform to wear and clarity on which pronouns to use being clearly communicated to all staff. VSware is the database used by the majority of secondary schools in Ireland and it currently only has the option of male or female in a student’s personal details section. This needs to change. The student council in Coláiste Bhríde has been fighting for this change for over two years and is currently working with Deputy Whitmore and the Irish Second-Level Students Union on this issue. After speaking to many mental health professionals in our research, the word "resilience" came up frequently. As a direct result of the pandemic and as a general shift in society, it is felt that many young people today lack the resilience required to tackle many of the daily obstacles in life. Our school has a comprehensive social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum that covers many of these topics and this should be implemented in all schools with a specific focus on building resilience.