Counselling in Schools reduced disciplinary problems, say teachers. File photo. Photo: UnSplash/ Taylor Flowe
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".
Children said they learned to control their emotions and how to get on with their friends.
"I learnt not to be rude and to try and control my feelings," one student told the report.
"I learnt different calming techniques and how to express my feelings," said another.
The report said the scheme helped children who were in emotional distress - a group estimated to have increased from nine percent of under-14-year-olds in 2016/17 to 13 percent in 2022/23, and Covid-19 was likely to be a driver.
"Individual students are referred to counselling for a range of reasons, including behaviour (24 percent), anxiety, stress, or trauma (16 percent), and relationships (15 percent). Seven in 10 (71 percent) students entering counselling are identified as being in distress, meaning that their pre-test mental health score represents the level of distress that is typical of those entering therapeutic services," the report said.
"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."
The report said for most students the benefits of counselling were still evident after six months.
But the report also said 12 percent of students said they felt worse after counselling and eight percent said there was no change.
Ruth Shinoda, the head of ERO's Education Evaluation Centre, said the review office was deeply concerned about the increased mental health challenges New Zealand's children faced.
"This is not only harmful for children's wellbeing but is also having a significant impact on their learning," she said.
The report said as well as mental health benefits, pupils who received counselling showed improved attendance and achievement.
It said the scheme targeted mostly schools in low socioeconomic areas and was reaching groups who did not typically access counselling, such as Māori students and boys.
It said most Counselling in Schools programmes used individual counselling sessions, but there was also some group counselling.
Most of the counsellors (70 percent) did not have a counselling qualification, though most were supervised by a qualified counsellor.
The report said counselling worked best when it was provided in schools and when students received at least three hours of counselling.
"Students who receive at least three hours of counselling are more likely to show improved mental health, learning, and engagement outcomes," the report said.
It said 243 mostly primary schools were part of the scheme this year and most of the schools were in Hawke's Bay, Gisborne and Northland.
Teachers referred students for counselling but the report warned that meant the programme might not be reaching students who did not show signs of distress.
The report concluded the scheme was "promising" but recommended further research into which of its elements were most important so it could be effectively replicated in more schools.
"Counselling in Schools is a promising programme. Positive impacts on mental health are equal to, or better than, other national and international school-based counselling programmes. However, Counselling in Schools is currently delivered in different ways. ERO recommends there to be more development of the programme specifications to understand the value for money, and what elements are key to success, and therefore essential in order to replicate its success in a larger variety of schools," it said.
The report included comments from teachers, principals, counsellors, students, and students' family members.
A school leader told the study the scheme dramatically reduced bad behaviour.
"At the time that I applied for Counselling in School, I had stood down 22 students, all for violent behaviour, assault on students, reckless endangerment of other students in the class. I've got this year, maybe three or four stand-downs," they said.
A teacher said students who received counselling were happier.
"They seemed happier and like they had a weight lifted off their shoulders," they said.
"Students had some good strategies and knew what to do if they were starting to feel like they were getting out of that zone. Then they could just go straight away and do those strategies, and then they'd go back into to the learning, usually without me prompting," another teacher said.