Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the most important gifts we can give our children is a good education, and I'm so proud of the wonderful work done by schools across Wentworth. Over the past few weeks I've had the pleasure of speaking with around 50 students from Wentworth as part of my primary and secondary school forums. We discussed what it's like to be a politician, the characteristics of good leadership, and what matters most to young people in Wentworth. The biggest issue the senior school students raised was mental health. They talked about the long-term impacts of COVID, the cultural stigma associated with being vulnerable, the damaging yet sometimes supportive spaces created by social media, struggles with eating disorders, as well as the costs and difficulty in getting treatment. And we discussed how the solutions to our mental health challenges are federal but also very personal, that sometimes the biggest difference you can make is just to remind someone, 'I'm your friend; I'm here for you; let's go out to the movies,' as one young man suggested. We also discussed how important it is to focus on the causes of mental health issues as well as how to support each other through this.

I would really like to thank all the schools who took part—a wide range of schools, including Reddam House, Cranbrook, Scots, Ascham, St Clare's, WAYS, Kambala, Waverley College, Sydney Girls High School, Rose Bay Public, Moriah, Double Bay Public, McAuley Catholic, Bronte Public, Paddington Catholic, Vaucluse Public, St Catherine's, St Francis of Assisi, and Galilee. Thank you so much.