Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to speak on this topic which is one I feel very strongly about. It is an excellent report and I hope its recommendations will be implemented because reports sometimes end up on shelves gathering dust and I hope that does not happen with this report given the recommendations it contains.

We must take a two-pronged approach when it comes to mental health and children in schools. First, we must have the services in place for children in crisis. We all know tragedies can occur and things can be going on in people's home or family lives or they could be affected by external factors. In addition, there are stresses attached to school and children face worries and anxieties as well as bullying. I would like play therapists and counsellors to be available in schools. Many people know I am a big advocate of the school completion programme and I regularly speak about it. It should be rolled out to all schools.

I accept that much of what I am saying is very ambitious but we must start somewhere and we should be ambitious in our plans. Schools involved in the school completion programme provide access to counselling and play therapy, depending on the age of the child. Play therapy is more appropriate for younger children and then counselling can be provided as they get older. Early intervention often prevents a situation from getting worse and a child having to be referred to CAMHS. I accept it does not solve all the problems as counselling alone is not sufficient for every child. Some problems are more complex and psychiatric services need to be involved but we should begin to provide counselling services in all schools.

We must then consider preventative measures and how we can avoid problems getting to the stage where outside help and intervention are required. Reference is made in the report to the fact that teachers and schools should be provided with the resources necessary to enable each student to participate fully in school and to encourage and develop his or her particular talents and strengths. Later in the report it is stated that the committee recommends that non-academic achievements, for example, in areas such as youth theatre, could be taken into consideration for college entry. Those are things we must consider. We must take the stress out of school and ensure that all the focus is not on academic achievement. Some children are excellent in that regard and that is great. Other children are interested in sport and others again fall somewhere in the middle. We must take that into account. It cannot just be the case that one is only seen as a fantastic student if one gets all As because students might have other skills and they must be encouraged also. Those children must realise they are just as valuable as those who are good at mathematics.

Most children in junior and senior infants love going to school and love their teacher but as time goes on they encounter difficulties at school. At some point in the school system they feel they are not good enough and they lose confidence and self-belief. That is where mindfulness, coping skills and emotional resilience come in. There is no reason that cannot be done in schools. We could take a break from academic studies during the day and bring in meditation or time out where children could read a book or play a board game so that the school day is not focused on academic subjects alone. I am concerned about the level of homework especially in secondary school and the stress and worry that causes.

My children attend the Gaelscoil in Kilkenny and they have a mindfulness day on the last Tuesday of each month. That has been happening in the school for the past three to four years. It was introduced by an excellent teacher who saw the value in such an approach. Now, every parent knows that on the last Tuesday of the month there is no homework but they must do an activity with their child that is non-technological. It is about first adopting such an approach in schools and developing such a mindset but it also about changing the mindset of parents and society. That is just as important as the academic side of it. Much needs to be done but we can start by introducing mindfulness, emotional resilience and teaching children that it is okay to be different, and it is okay not to fit in with everybody else. We must teach children how to cope when things go wrong or if something does not go their way, whether that is at school or due to something happening at home. They are the things on which we need to focus.

I was shocked when I learnt this week that we have the highest rate of child suicide for girls up to the age of 19 in Europe. That is something we must try to address. Given the current housing situation I also want to mention children who are in emergency accommodation such as hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation, which has an impact on their day-to-day lives and how they cope in school. Having raised the issue I was told supports are available through Tusla but not every child will be able to avail of the Tusla system. We all hope we will see an end to emergency accommodation but while the system is in place we must consider extra supports for children who are affected. For example, many of them travel a long distance to get to school. They have gone from having a certain routine and familiarity in their lives to upheaval and living in a hotel room with everyone living together in a confined space. It may seem that children are dealing with the situation but we must consider putting extra supports in place for them as well as for teachers to help them to provide support. Teachers require training in order to have the tools to provide support. I welcome the report and I hope the recommendations are implemented.

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