Armidale Teachers Association President Michael Sciffer said the New England North West is suffering from a lack of access to vital mental health and paediatric services, resulting in children coming to schools highly distressed.

Recent NSW Department of Education data shows that during 2021, students in north west NSW were most likely to be suspended, with 5.3 per cent receiving a short suspension and 2.1 per cent receiving a long suspension.

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In Semester 1, 2021 there were 4,960 short suspensions in the north west and 1,733 long suspensions.

Mr Sciffer said the figures did not surprise him, given the difficulty the region is having attracting skilled teachers.

"Particularly finding teachers with qualifications in special education and we have severe shortages of school councillors in the New England North West," he said.

"As of the end of last term, 50 per cent of the school councillor positions from Armidale to the Queensland border were vacant.

"It really doesn't surprise me that the north west region has such higher rates of suspension simply because schools aren't provided with the resources they need to support mental health needs."

Mr Sciffer said suspensions were not so much about punishment, rather providing opportunities for staff to put in place strategies and procedures to support kids to return to school.

"I'm very much involved in that process as a school councillor where I provide advice around what supports are needed," he said.

"Often it's about getting referrals to mental health services or to paediatricians. The issue is that we just don't have those services.

"We just don't have the support for these kids so they come to schools highly distressed and unfortunately that often leads to violence in our schools."

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The report detailed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the data, and Mr Sciffer agreed it has had a big impact.

"Our young people have paid a big price because of school shutdowns and lockdowns through COVID. It's completely disrupted their lives and routine and denied them access to all the supports and structures we have in our schools," he said.

"So there is certainly a point around the impact of COVID and the impact that's had on kids mental health and that shows up in our suspensions.

"But I guess the question then is what is the government doing to support these kids going through these lockdowns that are the decision of government anyway."

The Express contacted the Department of Education for comment.

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