David Stanton
Ceist:106 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of his interventions to tackle the problem of suicide among school-going pupils. [11824/00]
Written Answers. - Suicide Incidence.
While the prevention of suicide is an issue for a range of agencies, I acknowledge the role of schools in preventing this tragic and serious occurrence, especially in young people.
The report of the National Task Force on Suicide, published in January 1998, made a number of recommendations on prevention in the education area. These were: that teachers be supported in respect of the psychological and social dimensions of their work through continuous professional courses; that programmes be initiated aimed at teaching children positive health issues; that guidance counsellors be available to all schools and that the psychological services for schools be extended.
Social personal and health education, SPHE, is being introduced as part of the revised curriculum for primary schools. This subject is also to be introduced as a core part of the junior cycle curriculum at second level. Colleges of education and university departments of education are taking account of this change. Ongoing in-career development for teachers will be an integral part of the introduction of SPHE and is already available on a regular basis as part of the support for substance misuse prevention education, and relationships and sexuality education programmes at both primary and post-primary levels.
The provision of counselling in schools has been improved at post-primary level by the sanction of a minimum of eight hours counselling per week for schools with 200 students or less, one full-time counselling post for schools with 500 students or more and up to two full-time counselling posts for schools with 1,000 students or more.
A National Educational Psychological Service Agency was established by my Department in September 1999. The agency will employ 200 educational psychologists between now and the year 2004. The process of recruiting up to 50 additional educational psychologists for the agency is under way and these additional psychologists will become available during the current year.