Students should have ‘no questions asked’ mental health days off school: student body

Victorian students should get two ‘no questions asked’ mental health days off school a term to cope with lockdown stress, a peak student body says.

Victorian students and experts say the harsh effects of lockdowns and the unpredictable nature of online learning has sparked a mental health crisis in schools.

It comes as peak student body, the Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC), has started a pledge calling on schools to make workloads more manageable and give students up to two ‘no questions asked’ mental health days each term.

Narre Warren South P-12 College Year 12 student Joe Fraser, 17, who is also part of the VicSRC student executive advisory committee, said students had voiced concerns about burnout during the pandemic.

Joe Fraser, 17, who is on a peak Victorian student executive advisory committee, says school students are experiencing ‘burnout’ in the Covid pandemic. Picture: Jason Edwards

“What I’ve heard from students from different schools is that the problem lies with their schools trying to mandate after school classes or revision classes on the school holidays,” Mr Fraser said.

“School holidays need to remain a rest break because it really does make those students burnout because they’re not having time away from school … it’s not fine when it gets in the way of their mental health and wellbeing.”

Mr Fraser said all of the demands in the VicSRC’s pledge were extremely important.

“I think the ‘no questions asked’ mental health days are really crucial, it should really be up to students to decide if they’re going to be OK going to school and taking the days off will boost their motivation in the long run,” he said.

A recent survey by the Commission for Children and Young People, which captured the views of 312 young people about their mental health during Victoria’s fourth lockdown, revealed a dramatic increase in young people reporting feeling “bad or terrible”, with about 50 per cent in this category compared to 38 per cent in the previous snapshot in November.

About 17 per cent reported periods of mental ill health, with 23 per cent reporting having a mental illness, and with many children and young people describing how their mental ill-health was exacerbated during the fourth lockdown.

The survey also found children struggled with the difficulties of remote learning, the separation from friends and the many transitions between learning on-site and learning from home.

Young Victorians have reported feeling bad or terrible in lockdown. Picture: Simon Dallinger/FILE.

“These findings point not only to the cumulative impact of the pandemic and associated lockdowns, but also to the need for supports to keep pace with growing demand – especially for those facing additional challenges,” Victoria’s Commissioner for Children and Young People Liana Buchanan said.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Professor Sharon Goldfeld, who co-led a study of the impact of Covid school closures last year, said it was important that young people had a voice.

“If you look at some of the international data, anxiety was the most common symptom that kids had and a sense of being fearful,” Prof Goldfeld said.

“What we’ve been saying to lots of parents in terms of children of varying ages is to keep the conversation going … and for secondary aged children to keep them connected to their friends because what they are talking about is loneliness.”

A Department of Education spokesman said student absences due to medical reasons or illness

during the pandemic had decreased by 12 per cent compared to the 16 months prior, which was consistent with overall higher attendance rates at school right throughout the pandemic.

“We know how challenging the pandemic has been for Victorian students, especially those in their final years of school – and we’re working closely with VicSRC to make sure all students have the support they need to succeed despite disruptions to the school calendar,” he said.