Sustainability of Mental Health Support Officers in Schools

Mr Keith Chua asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the planned counsellor-to-student ratio at schools and Institutes of Higher Learning in 2024; and (b) whether the current provision of counsellors is adequate to provide early intervention on the mental health needs of students.

All schools are resourced with one to two School Counsellors, while each polytechnic and ITE college currently has an average of six counsellors. The autonomous universities similarly employ a varying number of counsellors depending on their enrolment and students' needs.

Beyond relying on counsellors to address students' mental health issues, schools and Institutes of Higher Learning also tap on an ecosystem of support comprising student peer-support networks, teachers, flexi adjunct and para-counsellors for support, as well as mental health resources in the community, such as the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) teams for further assessment and intervention. Students are also equipped with resilience-building skills, such as emotional regulation, help-seeking and problem solving to strengthen their sense of wellbeing. These provisions are regularly reviewed to ensure they are responsive to students' needs.