Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has thrown his support behind an online portal designed to help HSC students through the COVID-19 pandemic
The Stay Healthy HSC Hub will have 24-hour access to support from Australia’s leading mental health service for young people in the lead up to exams.
Mr Saunders said while last year’s Year 12 cohort were the first to deal with the stress of exams during the pandemic, this year’s group have had 18 months of disrupted learning.
“Year 12 is a stressful enough time for students as it is, but this group that are about to do their trials and later in the year their final HSC exam have had their entire senior schooling done under the cloud of COVID,” he said.
“This hub provides advice for students and their parents, who are often the first port of call when it comes to seeking advice and guidance.
“It also has a number of ideas to help with striking a balance between study and physical and mental health needs, and links for assistance if they are feeling overwhelmed.”
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said that in addition to the wellbeing programs being run at schools, the government has extended a partnership with ReachOut to provide advice for staying healthy while preparing for exams.
“Physical and mental wellbeing are more important than ever at the moment, and students need to remember that no matter what happens in response to the pandemic you will get your HSC, so continue studying hard and look after yourself,” she said.
“We’ve seen schools across the state implement really meaningful wellbeing programs to support students in the context of COVID-19, particularly for HSC students as they complete their final year of school. This is about building on that work and ensuring all students know there is somewhere they can go for advice.”