Mental health a primary school priority

Even in primary school, mental health is impacting the education sector.

Catholic primary school principal Steve Darcy believes it will become one of the largest drains on education resources, along with funding special needs students.

"More and more of our parents are presenting with high anxiety and issues around that," the St Mary's Star of the Sea principal told AAP on Friday.

"Which obviously is being passed onto our children."

Mental health issues are trickling down into difficult classroom behaviour, he says, and schools are accessing more counselling for students.

The school doesn't have a full-time counsellor but teachers are able to employ a "good range" of help outside the school.

However, the demands on those counsellors are increasing.

Mr Darcy believes the education sector needs more government money to fund services for mental health, along with special needs, to ensure every child is getting quality schooling.

And schools need the money now, because mental health issues are only getting worse, he said.

"We can't just dump the problem somewhere else."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten made a morning visit to the Hurstville school, meeting Year 1 students ahead of an announcement about savings measures to fund education and health.

Regardless of which party wins the election on July 2, Mr Darcy says it education funding must be a priority.

"When you talk to families, they want kids that are safe and kids that are happy," he said.

"We know it is our future and we have to get that right."