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Students are not supported solely by classroom teachers, but by the whole school environment. Other staff, such as psychologists, child and youth workers, attendance counsellors, and administrative staff play a role in creating a supportive environment in which students can learn.

People for Education collected information about the availability of para-professional such as psychologists, social workers, child and youth workers, and speech language pathologists in Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools.

• According to the Ontario Psychological Association’s guidelines, there should be 1 psychologist for every 1000 students. On average the ratio is actually 1 psychologist for every 3500 students.
• 38% of elementary and 40% of secondary schools report they have regularly scheduled access to a psychologist.
• 61% of elementary and 50% of secondary principals report they do not have sufficient access to psychologists to adequately support students.
• Principals reported a similar lack of adequate support in the areas of social work, speech language pathology, and child and youth work.

Access to these professionals also varies widely by region, with 46% of elementary schools in Northern Ontario having no access to psychologist services compared to 6% in Eastern Ontario.