Jan 29, 2018, (Australia) Yahoo News: Kids as young as five struggling with anxiety, teachers warn https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/38764765/wa-kids-as-young-as-five-struggling-with-anxiety-mental-health/ Western Australia will see 120 new full-time teachers hired to help with growing concerns of mental health issues among students as young as five. Education Minister Sue Ellery claims the Department of Education is already seeing "the increasing appearance of anxiety and mental health issues in school". Educators have said they are seeing issues like anxiety manifesting at a concerning young age. "We're seeing it in pre-primary children - kids turning five, six," Bramfield Park Primary School Principal Jayne Murray said. Premier Mark McGowan blames social media and has announced the government will hire 120 new full-time teachers to free up senior educators for other roles, such as coordinating mental health programs. The plan also includes hiring 300 extra education assistants and 50 Aboriginal education officers in regional Western Australia. Bramfield Primary School in Maddington already has a mental health program. The biggest issues that arise from the children are problems with friends and families. Concerned parents are urged to talk to their child's teacher.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.