Expert says schools should focus on children's well-being in wake of COVID-19

An advisor to the Irish and New Zealand Departments of Education says schools should focus on children’s well-being in the wake of COVID-19.

Professor Peter O’Connor of Auckland University is a world-leader in the delivery of mental health initiatives in primary schools.

He says the pandemic has had a profound impact on children, not just in terms of missing out on school, but on their mental health.

Professor O’Connor, whose ancestors came from Cordal, Castleisland, says the focus should be on children’s well-being, rather than catching up on schooling.

He says the government in New Zealand supported initiatives to help children come to terms with traumatic events including terror attacks and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.