My Account
The impact of Covid lockdowns on student mental health and motivation was a key issue discussed when student leaders met with the Minister for Youth Priyanca Radhakrishnan in Warkworth on August 17.
The students represented Rodney, Mahurangi, Orewa and Whangaparaoa Colleges, and met with the minister at the request of Labour List MP Marja Lubeck.
During an hour-long question and answer session, the students talked passionately about the changes they had witnessed as a consequence of Covid.
They said students were no longer striving for excellence and it was difficult and disheartening to see the lack of engagement in student-run activities.
One student said Pasifika parents were encouraging their children to drop out of school so they could maintain jobs to help support the family.
“Shouldn’t these parents be told not to do this?” she asked.
A teacher said most of her day was now spent dealing with mental health issues.
Students were also concerned about the removal by some schools of the Level 1 tests in Year 10. They felt it was important to laying the ground work for the Level 2 and 3 tests in years 12 and 13, and this could also be contributing to students’ lack of motivation.
“If they don’t feel like they are properly prepared and can do well, then perhaps that’s why they stop trying.”
Questions were also raised about whether or not a “Victorian system” of teaching – “turn-up, shut-up and listen to the teachers” – was still fit-for-purpose in a post-Covid world.
Minister Radhakrishnan acknowledged that the lockdowns had been disproportionately hard on youth as they had broken important school, social and employment connections.
“We are hearing a lot about the disengagement across schools,” she said. “We are currently doing a scan of what programmes we are providing in and out of schools to address this, and what the experts are telling us is needed, so we can make sure these are aligned.”
Mahurangi social services over-run
At a second Q&A session with Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan, members of some of Mahurangi’s social support services did not hold back on their concerns about the welfare of low-income families in the area.
They said they were being overwhelmed by the demand for their services and, as a result, people were falling through the cracks.
“People are spilling out of Auckland and heading north, but we aren’t getting any help to expand our services to cope. There are a lot of issues in the north but because we are part of a centralised system, we get overlooked. We’re the same as we were 10 years ago.”
One participant described the current “epidemic” of violence by children against their parents as an example of where people were not getting the help they needed.
“We used to get involved in these cases but we can’t anymore because we just don’t have the resources, and police won’t get involved either because the kids are under 18. As a consequence, some mothers are living in serious danger.”
A Hestia representative said one thing the government could do almost with the stroke of a pen would be to make Protection Orders free, regardless of income.
“I know a teacher aide who can’t get legal aid because she earns too much, but in reality she is only scraping by from week to week. It can cost $6000 to get the process started and up to $20,000 if the order is challenged by the partner and lawyers get involved. Some lawyers are asking for $1000 up front.
“And even if you can get legal aid, which isn’t easy, it is now having to be paid back. It’s an insane system that women who are in unsafe situations have to fill out paperwork that can take weeks. Let women get Protection Orders without any discussion about their income; let’s just make women safe.”
But perhaps the overriding issue of concern was the urgent need for more social housing in the area, which was leading to overcrowded houses and women living in unsafe circumstances.
“There’s a misconception that this is an affluent area, but there are many people who are struggling. De Paul House is busting to get more land to build more houses, but there’s a limit to what they can provide. There are only 55 houses available for the whole of Warkworth and Wellsford.”
Minister Radhakrishnan said housing was an issue across NZ.
“While we have an ambitious house building programme, we don’t have the boots on the ground to deliver it at the moment. In many cases, we also do not have the infrastructure under the ground to keep up with growth.”
Present at the forum were representatives from Homebuilders, Rodney Women’s Centre, Hestia Women’s Refuge, Rodney Inclusive Communities and Mahu Vision Trust.
The minister also met with Springboard, Police and Blue Light representatives, visited Mahu Vision and had afternoon tea with local volunteers.
