School Counselling Bill

A Bill to “ensure that sufficient academic and pastoral support is provided in schools.”

BE IT ENACTED by The Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Section 1: Definitions

• School counselor - A school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in primary/secondary schools and colleges to provide academic, career, further education readiness, and personal/social competencies.

• Academic - relating to education

• Pastoral - help with personal needs and problems

• Learning Disability - a condition giving rise to learning difficulties, especially when not associated with physical disability.

• School day - the school day is defined as from the beginning of registration to the end of the last lesson.

Section 2: Provision of Counselling

A) Primary schools shall hire a dedicated pastoral/academic support worker.

B) Secondary schools and colleges shall hire a dedicated pastoral support worker.

C) Secondary schools and colleges shall hire a dedicated academic support worker.

Section 3: Academic Counselling

A) An academic counsellor will provide at least once a week support to any student with learning disabilities.

• A school shall ensure that all students with learning disabilities are receiving this support.

B) An academic counsellor will set out hours in which other students can ask for help with work.

• This support will be of less urgency than support for students with learning disabilities if time is limited.

Section 4: Pastoral Counselling

A) A pastoral counsellor will be available for appointments at any time during the school day.

B) A pastoral counsellor will be trained in offering support and providing solutions to student problems including mental health and issues at home.

C) A pastoral counsellor will provide total discretion unless the wellbeing of the student is at risk

• If a pastoral counsellor is found to have breached this clause, then they shall be fired and forced to pay an amount of compensation determined by a magistrate to the student.

D) A pastoral counsellor will become the designated mediator of disputes between students in order to find the best outcome.

Section 5: Short Title, Extent and Commencement

A) This Act-

• May be cited as the ‘School Counselling Act 2016’

• Extends to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

• Shall come into effect from the 1st September 2016

Written by:

• /u/Crazyoc, UKIP MP for the West Midlands

Co-submitted by:

• /u/tremblehose, Green MP for Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton

• /u/TheInfernalRain, UKIP MP for Northern Ireland

• /u/ContrabannedTheMC, Green MP for Hampshire, Surrey, and West Sussex

• /u/rexrex600, RSP MP for North London

• /u/electric-blue, Green MP for Thames Valley

The reading for this bill will end on 9th April.