Budget cuts to blame for school counselling shortages say Greens
A report published today by the BBC showing the extent to which children across Scotland don’t have access to counselling is, say the Scottish greens, proof of “years of cutting council budgets”.
The party’s education spokesperson, Ross Greer MSP also says the government must consider the report’s findings as part of its review into Personal and Social Education.
Earlier this year the Green MSPs persuaded the minority SNP government to cancel proposed cuts to councils of £160m.
West of Scotland MSP, Ross Greer said:
"Young people shouldn't face a postcode lottery when they need urgent support in their school but this investigation shows that is the reality across Scotland. We hear regularly how children and adolescent mental health services are overstretched with unacceptable waiting lists. This is in large part the result of cuts to school counsellors, removing the bursary from educational psychology courses and a decade of council budgets taking a hammering.
"I've pushed hard for all young people in Scotland to receive quality mental health education, which would prevent many issues from escalating to the point where counsellors are required but there will always be a need for them and at the moment that need is clearly not being met across the country. Following our work on Personal and Social Education in the parliament's education committee the government has committed to review the state of PSE, school counsellors and associated provision. I hope it quickly becomes clear to them that years of cutting council budgets has a direct and damaging impact on our young people and that the solution is both to improve mental health education and to fund our schools properly."