Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

It's not every day that you get a wonderful idea from a young person in your electorate that is a reminder that you're never too young to make a difference. That's what happened to me recently when Ashleigh Dewhurst, a year 4 student from Pennant Hills Public School, reached out to me with a thoughtful and practical proposal to address some of the challenges young people face in schools. Ashleigh explained that many young people feel too shy, embarrassed and afraid to speak up about the worries on their mind. They might not want to tell a teacher face to face. They might worry that their friends will think they're different. They might not have the words to explain what they're feeling, or they might think that their concerns don't matter.

Ashleigh wanted to change this. Her idea is simple, inexpensive and powerful. It's the concept of a letterbox in schools. Students can write down their worries, or draw a picture, if that's easier, and place it in the letterbox. The principal then collects the notes, shares them with the student's teacher and makes sure those concerns are taken seriously. Ashleigh gave me some examples. The student might be anxious about an upcoming maths test, they might be feeling left out on the playground, or they might be struggling and don't know what to do.

Her idea also brings our community together. I've been speaking to some of our local men's sheds about helping build these letterboxes so that they can be rolled out across our community. Ashley is here today in the parliament with her family: brother, Miles, and parents, Blair and Erin. They'd been meeting earlier today with the new CEO of Lifeline, Graham Strong, who's also in the chamber, and Emma Carr from Lifeline, to talk about the inspiring proposal.

What I love about Ashleigh's proposal is that it's not just practical but it's wise. We often talk about the importance of student wellbeing and mental health. Ashleigh's proposal provides an appropriate way for people who might be too anxious to speak up but who need others to know that they're struggling to get support. As the shadow minister for education, I know that children face pressures inside and outside the classroom, and sometimes that can be overwhelming. If those feelings are bottled up, they become barriers to learning and friendships. But, when children feel safe enough to share their feelings, even through a folded piece of paper, we can continue that work to normalise conversations about mental health and ensure young people can get early support.

Ashleigh's letterbox idea has the ability to be another tool for schools to help create an environment not just for education but for care, support, resilience and trust. I want to commend Ashleigh for her creativity and her courage. She saw a problem in her own world and came up with a practical solution. I told her that I would bring the matter to parliament and that I would continue to champion the need to improve mental health and resilience outcomes in schools in our community and across Australia. Giving children a safe and practical way to express their worries isn't a small thing; it's a vital step in ensuring that every child feels safe and supported. Sometimes the biggest ideas for change come from our youngest voices. Ashleigh, you have one of those voices. Congratulations, and keep going.

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