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mental health
Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how individuals think, feel, and respond to stress or challenges. In school environments, mental health can influence a student’s ability to focus, regulate emotions, build relationships, and engage in learning. Supportive environments, respectful relationships, and access to appropriate services can all contribute to positive mental health outcomes for students.
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Am I obligated to send my child to school if they have been harmed there?
Many parents feel frightened to keep their child home from school, even when the child is clearly distressed or traumatised. Families are often told that school attendance is mandatory and may worry that lawyers or child protection authorities will intervene if their child…
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Don’t wait for an apology to heal
The apology is probably not coming. It is worth saying plainly, before anything else, because so much of what keeps families suspended in the aftermath of institutional harm is the unspoken anticipation of it — the sense that healing cannot properly…
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What does success actually look like in school complaints?
Success in school complaints rarely looks like the resolution families imagined when they began. There is almost never an apology. There is rarely an admission that something went wrong. The school will not, in most cases, say plainly that your child…
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How do I protect my child emotionally while pursuing a complaint?
Complaints are stressful for the whole family, and children are perceptive in ways that adults consistently underestimate. A child does not need to overhear a specific conversation to absorb the tension that a complaint process generates — they feel it in…
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What’s the risk of waiting too long to escalate a complaint?
The biggest risk is not conflict. It is lost options. BC’s formal complaint pathways carry hard deadlines that run whether or not you are aware of them. A human rights complaint must generally be filed within one year of the last…
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When does “be patient” become a red flag rather than reasonable advice?
Patience is often framed as a virtue in school advocacy. In reality, it can quietly become a mechanism for delay. Patience is reasonable when there is a clear plan, defined timelines, and visible progress. It becomes a red flag when time…
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My autistic daughter masks at school and collapses afterwards. The school says she’s fine. How can I get help?
This page addresses what to do when your autistic daughter is camouflaging at school, experiencing significant distress at home, and the school is using her apparent coping as evidence that she requires no support. It covers the research on masking, the…