Getting more counsellors into schools to combat ballooning student anxiety rates is a priority for Daryl Gibbs, following his election as president of the New Zealand Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools.
Daryl Gibbs was elected president of the New Zealand Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools. Photo: Steph Bell-Jenkins
“For a number of years now we have been campaigning different ministers under different governments for staffing in intermediates and full primaries that allow us to employ counsellors,” the Cambridge Middle School principal said.
“We currently have a counsellor at CMS, but we pay for that out of our operations grant, which means it has to come from other budget areas – we would like that to be a staffing unit.
“It comes under the learning support budget that the minister has announced, you know, kids having access to the support they need, whatever that looks like, and at this age, if all the surveys are saying anxiety is through the roof, and mental health, for us it would be staffing for every school to be able to provide that support.”
He said there were “clear statistics” showing the link between social media use and the increase in anxiety in teenagers and people in general.
Gibbs also hopes to tackle class ratios in his new role as president.
“Years 5-8 is the lowest funded part of the education model and then we wonder, why is there a different learning during that time?”
He said that ratio had recently been reduced from one teacher to 29 students to one to 28, but ratios in surrounding age groups were lower, at around 1:24 for years 9-10, for example.
“Class ratios is a very, very hard one to win, because if you have less in each class you need more classrooms, and building classrooms is expensive,” he said.
Cambridge Middle School principal Daryl Gibbs (right) and Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan walk through the new building as it blessed by Ngāti Koroki Kahukura representative Harry Wilson.
Gibbs has been on the NZ Aims executive for nearly six years. He was vice-president for three years and acting president this year, before being voted in as president in a nationwide election last month.
He said the organisation had around 120 members and 300 affiliate members.
“There are eight principals elected from across the country to promote intermediate and middle schools, in Wellington, to advocate in curriculum or policy and support principals in intermediate schools,” he said.
“It’s an exceptionally interesting role, getting to go to Wellington to meet with the minister and heads of key organisations to actually advocate for year 7-10 children, because often we get left out of things.
“Key documents like the curriculum don’t always give attention to these key developmental years that they should, in our opinion. So it’s nice to go and sit in those meetings and advocate.
“I’m enjoying the challenge and I think Cambridge Middle School benefits a lot from what I bring back.”
Gibbs will retain his job as Cambridge Middle School’s principal and said it would remain his priority.
Education Minister Erica Stanford takes a tour of Cambridge Middle School with Evie Ball (left), principal Daryl Gibbs, Madison Keenan (right) and Rachel Rutter (out of shot).
