Students at New South Wales public schools are set to benefit from a new range of evidence-based wellbeing programs that have been reviewed and quality assured.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new quality assured student wellbeing catalogue now available to schools was part of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s ongoing work to provide greater mental health and wellbeing support for young people.
“The Liberal and Nationals are building an education system in which students thrive. Supporting students’ wellbeing is essential to supporting them in their academic achievement,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Sourcing appropriate and high-quality programs is not always easy for schools, taking time and often requiring specialist knowledge. This catalogue takes out the guesswork and administrative burden, giving school leaders more confidence in their decisions around what external providers they use to support students.”
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said we are yet to see the full impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and wellbeing on children and young people.
“By continuing to prioritise and invest in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our students, we help build and strengthen their resilience and ability to adapt and cope with challenging situations,” Mrs Taylor said.
Quality assurance criteria for the catalogue has been informed by a commissioned Literature Review undertaken by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. While schools will be encouraged to utilise the catalogue, schools can still choose programs that meet local needs and deliver results for their students.
Close to 50 programs are available to NSW public schools under the three initial themes of Behaviour, Sense of Belonging and Resilience. The number of programs and themes in the catalogue will increase throughout 2023.
The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has also recently announced a unique Student Wellbeing Innovation Fund of $3.2 million that will support capacity building and provide seed funding for new and innovative programs that will one day seek to be on the quality assured catalogue.
