Templestowe College conducts ‘Winter Wake-up’ for tired and stressed students

A Victorian school is conducting a ‘Winter Wake-up’ to re-charge its students’ batteries.

Classes are running at Templestowe College this week, but students will have the option to opt out of class to play bubble soccer, take an excursion, or eat ice-cream.

Co-principal Peter Ellis told Neil Mitchell a study into over 90,000 students showed that students’ energy and motivation levels were the worst in this particular week of the year.

‘There’s some really worrying statistics out there about levels of mental illness in students,’ he said.

‘30% of Year 12s have got diagnosable depression. As a school system, we’re responsible for a lot of this.’

Mr Ellis said the extra curricular activities teach kids important skills like teamwork, and they will also have to be good at time-management.

‘If they carry out an activity, it’s their responsibility to catch up on the work they’ve missed,’ he said.

Parents’ consent is required for a child to participate.

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Leading psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg told Neil stress levels among students have never been higher.

He said the research shows the number one problem for 15-19 year olds was coping with stress, and it’s been getting worse every year.

‘Schools have got to do something different,’ Dr Carr-Gregg said.

‘Good on Templestowe for having a go.’