Classroom crisis – and how mentors can help: Kids’ Hope Australia wants to reach all kids

As Aussie primary schools grapple with surging rates of depression, anxiety and aggressive outbursts there’s a bold push to put this one thing back in our classrooms.

The nation’s largest school-based mentoring program is looking to further expand in a bid to address spiralling rates of depression, anxiety and aggressive outbursts in primary schools.

Kids’ Hope Australia, which has been offering one-on-one mentoring in schools for two decades, says more educators are reporting worrying classroom behaviour, including incidents of violence and disruption.

Melbourne lawyer Belinda Loke is a director on the charity’s board and says a rise in the number of students “struggling with focus and resilience” has also been detailed.

“Teachers are reporting higher levels of anxiety, social withdrawal, (more kids with) difficulty regulating emotions … and changes in how kids are forming friendships and engaging in learning,” the mother-of-two said.

“We are hearing that classrooms are needing to be ‘locked down’ due to aggressive or destructive behaviour by students, including physical assaults on teachers or other students … so you have this spiralling effect with classmates and teachers experiencing high level anxiety.

“Shockingly we are also hearing of children aged eight and younger who are suicidal.”

Recently-released data from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) shows almost three quarters of adolescents in Australia experience clinically significant depression or anxiety symptoms, with most dubbed “chronic”.

A Kids Hope Australia mentor works with a young student.

“The research and evidence tells us that the earlier that you can intervene, the more effective you can be in changing the trajectory of the child and it is the reason our focus is on providing one-on-one mentoring to vulnerable children in primary schools,” Ms Loke said, adding thousands of children, mostly nominated by principals, had so far been supported.

The organisation’s CEO Simon Warrick said many parents were frantic and unsure of how to help their child.

Melbourne lawyer Belinda Loke is a director on Kids Hope Australia and says every child “needs a champion”.

“I recently saw a social media post by a mum who was desperate, she was crying out for help … all of a sudden her child was suffering anxiety and would lock themselves in the bathroom and not want to go to school,” he said.

“Anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, outbursts and school refusal are becoming more and more common.”

The charity, which matches volunteer mentors with school students for weekly one-on-one sessions, recently launched a new pilot program in Tasmania and is working to createa digital training program to allow more volunteers with “the tools and skills” needed to become a mentor.

“Every child needs a champion, our vision is to see mentors in every school around the nation … so all children know there is someone there for them,” Ms Loke said.

Originally published as Classroom crisis – and how mentors can help: Kids’ Hope Australia wants to reach all kids