School counsellors head to the Legislature to lobby government
- syoung679
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Children and youth deserve access to school counsellors when they need it and where they’re at—which is at their own school.
It was a busy first week of March in Victoria—the provincial government had just introduced the new budget and was contending with the threat of President Trump’s tariffs. The BCTF was also in the capital with representatives of the BC School Counsellors’ Association to meet with Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, as well as her senior staff.
Over the course of the meeting, Norberta Heinrichs and William Nicholls-Allison spoke with passion about the services school counsellors provide to students and the support they’re able to give to their fellow teachers within the school community. In the discussion that followed their presentation, the members were able to distill the role of the school counsellor for the Minister and build greater understanding; they even provided advice on how to bring existing counsellors back into the school system with more palatable and realistic assignments that would allow them to focus on therapeutic relationships in a more meaningful way.
The Minister was moved by the stories told by our members on how their work and interventions made lasting impacts on students. She asked relevant and important questions, she requested further information, and her Ministry, as well as the Ministry of Advanced Education, want to keep the dialogue going. This was a positive and important step in our continued advocacy to hold the BC NDP government accountable for their election promise of a school counsellor in every school.
Personal stories make the case for better ratios and a counsellor in every school
The delegation, which included BCTF President Clint Johnston, made the most of their time during the lobby session. It was the personal impact stories that really connected and helped the Ministry officials see the importance of school counselling.
Norberta told the story of a current student experiencing significant trauma in their home life, leading to a concerning level of absenteeism. They were on the verge of quitting school altogether and at risk of bowing out of all peer and community connections. The youth didn’t need medical intervention, they didn’t need a behaviour plan, they needed a caring and qualified professional to connect with them, strategize with other teachers to support their passion projects, and be their one-on-one support network.
Because of the intervention of a school counsellor, the time Norberta was able to give them, and supportive staff, that student will walk across the stage this June as a proud and resilient graduate.
William shared another story of hope about a younger student who had fled war in their home country with their family. Through the trauma of that experience, and feeling isolated in school, the young child became mute. The family couldn’t afford private counselling and there was little support available through immigration services. William was asked to see if he could help as the school counsellor.
He visited the student’s classroom every day and drew pictures with them so they could begin to feel safe. In their art, the student always drew themselves very small. William also helped chaperone the class on field trips, ensuring this student knew that they always had a buddy and they weren’t small or isolated. Then one day, the student ran up to Will and spoke to him for the first time, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Will.” From there, the student blossomed.
This transformation didn’t happen in a counselling centre—it happened by bringing the power of a therapeutic relationship built on safety and showing up every day into the rhythms of the student’s school life.
This is why our students need better access to counsellors, and we’re confident the Minister took the message to heart.
