Teachers aren't therapists: We need proper mental health pros in every Scottish school, not more pressure on staff.

Why do we keep pretending teachers can be everything to everyone? We're expected to be educators, social workers, and now, increasingly, mental health counsellors, all while managing a classroom and preparing lessons. It’s simply not sustainable, and more importantly, it’s not fair on the children who genuinely need professional support. We see the anxiety and the silent struggles every day, and it's heartbreaking when you know you can't properly address it.

My proposal is straightforward: every primary and secondary school in Scotland needs its own full-time, dedicated mental health professional. Someone qualified and independent, not a teacher trying to fit counselling into their lunch break. This isn't about giving teachers more training; it’s about providing specialist support that a teacher, quite rightly, isn't equipped to give.