A grade six student wants more mental health education in schools and other high school students are calling for more counselling support, so all students can feel comfortable at school.
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The commissioner for children and young people Leanna McLean launched a short film about how young people's perspectives can inform decision makers, at the paranaple centre in Devonport on Wednesday.
North-West Coasters involved in the statewide Consultative Council, which consists of students from 9 to 17 years old, spoke about what they wanted adults to pay more attention to and nearly all of their answers related to mental health.
Grade six pupil at Table Cape Primary School Dieter Linden said mental health education should be worked into the school curriculum from about grade four.
"It should be talked about more at schools because if children and young people know how that develops and what to do, it will probably make a better future," Dieter said.
"We don’t do health at our school, we do that at high school. It has got to be something that is actually talked about.
"When our parents were going through school I don't think that was highlighted at all and I think we need to break up the monotiny and try and fix it."
High school student Zali Grace said her school had a councillor but herself and others didn't know there was one.
"We thought they could reduce bullying at schools if teachers paid more attention or if we had an active councillor," Zali said.
She said herself and other leaders talked about issues at their schools and most of those issues were to do with drugs and alcohol.
Devonport High School student Connie Turner said she wanted her school and teachers to focus more on how students felt at school.
"Obviously they are there to teach us but to teach us better they should focus on how we are dealing with things," Connie said.
"If we are more relaxed and more comfortable, we are going to learnt things quicker and we will be smarter."
Grade eight student Mishca Linden said she wanted to see more positive role models for herself and others to look up to.
"I think a lot of celebrities and politicians aren't great role models. I think there are ones that are but we need more positive ones," Mishca said.
"On social media and Instagram people post perfect pictures of themselves but it is not reality and nobody is perfect. People need to realise that and stop feeling bad because they're not as perfect as someone who they have seen on Instagram."
Ms McLean said it was extremely important that political leaders listened to children and young people and gave weight to their values.
"Young people can think differently and be more creative… We want to ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard in decisions that affect them, in all aspects of their lives."
She said the video had been sent to all politicians who were about to return to parliament so they could see the importance of what children had to say.
"Big hART developed the script for the film in consultation with Council members. Council Members created out-of-session video content for the film and young women from Big hART’s Project O in Wynyard assisted with the editing process.”
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