Students, teachers oppose Education Department’s new counselling triage model

Students and parents have hit out at a new counselling model, but the education department says it’s not as it seems. Here’s how the changes will work.

A “centrally co-ordinated” new model of providing school counsellors to Territory students has come under fire by students, parents and even the political opposition.

However an Education Department spokeswoman said some have misunderstood how it will work, quashing a claim school counsellors will work from the department’s Mitchell St centre.

More than 500 people have signed a petition, launched by the Casuarina Senior College student leadership team, against the new model.

“Under this model, all school counsellors will operate at the Mitchell Centre,” the petition reads.

“It has been developed with no consultation of students, parents or the wider school community.

“This model makes direct mental health services inaccessible, has no guarantee of mental health services for students as it has no time frame and no consistency, and shifts the focus from education to emotional maintenance for teachers.”

Some students from Casuarina Senior College are collecting petition signatures opposing the new model of counsellor services, which they believe would involve counsellors operating from the department’s Mitchell St centre. Picture: Glenn Campbell

However an Education Department spokeswoman said counsellors would not work from the CBD.

“The department is not removing counsellors from schools to work in the Mitchell Centre,” she said.

“Students will see counsellors in schools and will have access to wellbeing support when they need it.”

The spokeswoman said they had 21 counsellors currently working, three to start this month and six still to be recruited.

She said the new model’s pool of 30 positions would be five up on last year and would be deployed across multiple primary and secondary schools, with two of those to work from regional offices “to help co-ordinate resources”.

The Department of Education, with chief executive Karen Weston at the helm, is rolling out a new model of “centrally co-ordinated” counsellor services. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“The change is to make them more accessible to more students not just a few schools in the NT, which is the historical model,” she said.

“Wherever possible, when consistency is required, it will be offered.

“Student safety and wellbeing is a priority for the department and every school in the Territory.”

However the NT Council of Government School Organisations, the peak body representing parents of government school students, said that model could still disrupt “ongoing, one-on-one services” to students.

“The Department of Education has implemented a new model, a ‘triage model ‘- where schools are required to consult with a contact person in the Mitchell Centre, with their request for a counselling service for a student,” president Tammy Fudge said.

“The contact person will then confirm if the student is eligible for counselling support and advise what the next steps are for the school in requesting support.

“NTCOGSO does not accept that a prevention model, which includes identifying risks to children, should be taken out of schools and centralised.”

The CLP’s Katherine MLA Jo Hersey hit out at the Department of Education’s move with the understanding it would put counsellors in the Mitchell Centre. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The CLP’s education spokeswoman Jo Hersey said the move went against findings of the government’s $10m education engagement strategy.

“School counsellors are a vital part of a school community and the students will not be able to readily access them,” she said.

“Last week, Natasha Fyles spent parliament preaching that ‘kids in schools don’t commit crimes’ and now she’s ripped counsellors out of schools.”

The Education Department spokeswoman said the final model was still being worked out.

“Consultation has been undertaken with school principals, school counsellors and students,” she said.

“We will continue to work with the Youth Voice Peak Group to ensure their lived experience continues to shape the service.”