NCERT asks schools to identify students’ mental health issues

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) following a mental health survey among school children has released guidelines for “Early identification and intervention for mental health problems in school going children and adolescents.”

Setting up of a mental health advisory panel, school-based mental health programme and pedagogical support to ensure mental well-being of students and engaging parents, are some of the topics covered in its recommendations.

The survey report launched last week has cited that exams, results and peer pressure among major factors for stress and anxiety among school students.

“Schools generally are seen as spaces where communities of learners have been expected to develop in a safe and secure environment. School management, principal, teachers, other staff, and students all spend around 1/3 of a day and around 220 days in a year in schools across the states and UTs in India. For residential schools, the time spent by a student in the school community is even more. Therefore, it is the school’s responsibility to ensure the safety, security, health, and well-being of all children in schools and hostels,” NCERT states.