The Junior National Council MPs are calling on the government to build stronger referral and follow-up systems for when a child reaches out for help to ensure that learners receive continuous care.

They were contributing to the motion to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support services for children and adults.

The MPs said the government should strengthen school-based counselling and psycho-social support and for teachers to receive basic training to recognise warning signs in learners and refer them to professionals.

"The government should bring back Bible reading and Christian values and moral formation into the school environment because as a Christian, I believe that mental wellbeing is important, but also the spiritual wellbeing of a learner is also important. In global newspapers, Proverbs 22 verse 6 teaches us to bring up a child in the way he should go, and Matthew 22 verse 39 teaches us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves," added MP Candy Goreses. 

JNC MP Carol Willem said, "If a boy wants to speak out, if we see an expressive boy, often his sexuality is being questioned. Is that not true, house at large? Is that not true, my fellow peers? Training for teachers to identify learners who may need support. And this isn't being done. There are initiatives that are trying to train the teachers. But a trained teacher cannot be a qualified psychologist, house at large."

MP Kemone Puturi reiterated, "Hardap Region Schools should also strengthen suicide-prevention, anti-bullying, and substance-abuse programmes. Parents, too, need education on adolescent mental health, communication, bullying, and substance abuse so that they can better protect and support their children."

MPs Ludmila Aron and Mavuyo Somseb also contributed to the debate. 

"A child may have a classroom, books, and a teacher, but if that child is struggling with grief, trauma, bullying, anxiety, family problems, and other emotional difficulties, the ability to learn can be seriously affected. How's it large? Firstly, mental health is connected to education. Mental health is not separate from education."

"Strengthening mental health services does not always mean building something new. Sometimes it means using what we already have, but just better. By saying that, I have four solutions, which go as follows. Number one is to train teachers as first listeners, not to replace the counsellors and the therapists that we have, but to be able to listen to the adventing of students."