Scottish schools need counsellors for teachers, poll suggests

Every school in Scotland should have a counsellor to help teachers deal with the demands of the job, according to a survey carried out by a special needs teacher.

A poll conducted by special needs teacher Jenny Harvey has shown that nearly half of respondents said their mental health was poor, with 15 per cent stating they take medication because of their job.

Nearly 800 people responded to the poll and a covener of a mental health helpline stated that as a result of the demands of teaching, counsellors should be on hand at every school.

According to Tes, Harvey was “surprised” by some findings, and stated that almost everyone who participated said they felt the “heavy burden” of guilt about the educational experience they offered pupils.

Tony McLaren, the national co-ordinator of Breathing Space, the NHS mental health helpline in Scotland, told TES there has been a rise in demand from schools for its services in the past five years.

He went on to say that despite teachers often joking about the demands of their job, that this is often to just “mask high stress levels”.

McLaren added:“In an ideal world, every school would have a counsellor that any teacher or pupil could drop into.”