Five extra school psychologists will be introduced into Canberra's public school system per year over the next term of government, education minister Yvette Berry says.
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$2.36 million will be set aside in the June 6 budget for first five of 20 school psychologists ACT Labor promised prior to last year's election.
Ms Berry said the extra mental health expertise would ensure Canberra schools were places that "not only teaches students, but also supports them".
"These psychologists will be allocated to the areas of greatest need and will respond to our growing awareness of the need for a proactive approach to mental health and student wellbeing in our schools," Ms Berry said in a statement.
"The new psychologists will complement the existing numbers of school psychologists along with other support teams made up of speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers to provide a thorough and robust support network for our students."
The Australian Education Union and advocacy groups last year called on the ACT government to increase the number of psychologists in Canberra's schools to 34 in order to meet the ratio of one school psychologist for every 500 students now enrolled in ACT public schools.
An expert panel, convened after it was revealed a boy with autism was locked in a cage at a Canberra school, recommended the government install one school counsellor for every 500 students. Currently in the ACT that ratio is 1:750.
