Educational Psychologist Strike w/ Shelley O'Sullivan: October 27, 2021

At the beginning of October more than 120 psychologists employed by the Ministry of Health in schools and early childhood centres stopped accepting referrals in a nationwide strike asking for better pay and conditions. In 2020 more than three thousand children and youth were on waiting lists for learning support from the ministry, and there are currently more than 50 psychologist vacancies across the country. 

Because the month of the strike is drawing to an end, this week on the Wire Frances spoke with with educational psychologist Shelley O’Sullivan. She is one of only four educational psychologists in Taranaki whose work involves supporting most ‘at-risk’ children in schools. They talked about the reality of working as an educational psychologist, COVID’s impact on Shelley’s work and her hopes for the result of the strikes.