YAPA media release: 17 May 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
The peak youth affairs group in NSW has welcomed the announcement by the Education Minister, Adrian Piccoli of a trial of student support officers in high schools starting next year, but has urged further action to better utilise existing supports in the wider community.
The Youth Action and Policy Association (YAPA) is the peak organisation representing young people and youth services in NSW, and working towards a society where all young people are supported engaged and valued.
YAPA Chief Executive, Reynato Reodica, said the announcement reported in today’s SMH (“Support officers to free up overworked school counsellors” - which would see young people hired to assist with students’ non-clinical issues) was a significant step towards providing supports required to address a current gap in student welfare needs.
The announcement suggests the student support officer positions will supplement the work of school counsellors and other school-administered schemes designed to ensure student welfare needs are addressed in schools. These include mentoring, peer mediation, targeted support programs and the national school chaplaincy program.
However, Mr Reodica warned that focussing on positions and programs within the education system misses support available in the wider community and fails to address students who require non-clinical, secular support from people with expertise in dealing with youth issues. Mr Reodica said, “This is a great new initiative, but don’t forget what’s out there already. No school is an island – each is situated in a community where youth and community services are there, and waiting, to provide the support that support officers may not have the expertise to give and non-clinical supports that school counsellors are obviously too busy to provide.”
Mr Reodica added “the needs of students transitioning through adolescence are varied and complex – Youth service organisations have the expertise, skills and resources to support students and we believe well supported partnerships between high schools and youth service organisations are the most effective and economical way of supporting the welfare needs of students and breaking down barriers to learning.
“The Minister and the education system must take the next step and work with the community to better utilise these resources, that can deliver real benefits for students, both now and into the future.”
Media contact
Reynato Reodica
YAPA Chief Executive – 02 9281 5522 ext 1, 0416 929 252