METRONEWS
© New Zealand Broadcasting School 2024

A new government initiative will tackle stress levels in school

Rebeckah Dell
Bamford School sign
Bamford School will be one of the few schools to get the mental health plan rolled out first  Rebeckah Dell

A new government programme will look to tackle anxiety and stress in Canterbury Primary Schools.

A programme taking aim at stress in school kids is the first step in a three year government plan.

The plan will invest $28 million dollars into mental health in primary schools, ensuring there is one mental health worker per 500 students across Canterbury.

Bramford School is one of the seven schools in the Tamai Learning Community which will test the plan.

Acting Principal Deborah Young said “Its pretty exciting to think that things are actually going to be happening”

Bramford School's community saw a lot of earthquake damage and the kids are among the most at risk of mental health issues.

She said she still sees anxiety in kids who are separated from their parents and other anxieties have come to the surface since the earthquakes that didn’t exist before.