Wong Iok Leng, head of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions’ (FOAM) Student Counselling Service, said yesterday that due to local schools’ suspension last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students had not been able to reach out for help, therefore more students than last year have been seeking counselling this year.
The Macau Federation of Trade Unions is commonly known by its Cantonese name – Gung Luen.
Wong made the remarks on the sidelines of yesterday’s celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the federation’s Student Counselling Service at the federation’s headquarters in the Inner Harbour area.
Wong noted that during the whole of last year, the student counselling service received 300 cases, while in the past six months it has already received 400 cases. She pointed out that most of the cases involved problems such as health, emotional issues and family conflicts. She added that most of the students sought help on their own, and only some cases were transferred by schools after teachers noticed irregular behaviour.
According to Wong, in recent years the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) has started to place much emphasis on counselling students, which, according to Wong, has had a positive impact. She said that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there will be more families needing counselling, therefore counsellors will remain important to students and families alike.
Wong Iok Leng, head of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions’ Student Counselling Service, talks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s celebrations of the federation’s student counselling service’s 10th anniversary.
