STUDENTS SEEKING COUNSELLING SERVICES

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

The following Question stood in the name of Mdm Ho Geok Choo -

Mdm Ho Geok Choo: To ask the Minister for Education in light of the report that there has been an increase in the number of students seeking counselling services in our schools, will his Ministry provide (i) some of the analyses and findings for the students wanting to seek such services and (ii) the number of such students with percentage breakdown and their profile.

Assoc. Prof. Chin Tet Yung (Sembawang): Question No. 1.

The Minister for Education (RAdm Teo Chee Hean): Mr Speaker, Sir, from the counselling cases reported by schools, about 6% of students have been referred for counselling, with secondary school students accounting for slightly more than half of these 6%. Of these 6%, 4% were seen by school personnel, including Teacher Counsellors, and 2% were referred to the Ministry of Education's specialists and external professionals. The two main types of problems referred for counselling were discipline-related problems, eg, truancy and late-coming, and emotion problems, eg, coping with grief and loss issues, boy-girl relationship problems. These two types of cases accounted for about three-quarters of the counselling cases reported by schools. Other cases involved bullying and theft, motivation and attitude problems. The students who were referred for counselling came from a cross-section of academic levels, streams, gender and ethnic groups.

In recent years, there has been a greater awareness among the public on emotional health issues, greater acceptance of counselling as an option, and easier access to counselling services in schools and the community, such as the Family Services Centres. Referrals for counselling have therefore gone up. The availability of these counselling services is indeed helpful to our students who may need them.