NEW DELHI: Aiming to ensure student well-being, the Delhi government has decided to conduct comprehensive counselling in all its schools.
Education Minister Atishi has directed the Directorate of Education to draft a blueprint, marking a bold step in prioritising mental health and guidance for Delhi’s students.
It should be noted that, in the pilot phase conducted across 20 government schools, over 20,000 children received counselling in the past year. Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellors (EVGC) and school psychologists provided support to help students maintain their mental health. Additionally, group sessions and social-emotional learning taught students how to manage stress and stay emotionally healthy.
To understand the experiences from the pilot phase and to improve the mental-emotional well-being of every child studying in Delhi government schools through this project, Education Minister Atishi discussed the initiative with school psychologists and EVGC counsellors posted in these clinics and gathered their feedback.
The Education Minister emphasised that having a healthy mind and body is crucial. Children’s all-around development can occur only when they are mentally healthy. “The Mental Health Initiative has played an important role in this direction. Under this scheme, we aim to provide better health services to school students, thereby contributing to a healthy mind, society, and ultimately a healthy nation,” she stated.
She further added, “I am pleased that through this project, we are addressing the mental health needs of children in our schools and building a happier society.”
During the discussion, school psychologists shared how timely counselling can meet students’ mental health needs and reconnect them with their studies. They explained that children experience stress for various reasons from an early age, which negatively affects their mental health. “However, there is not much awareness about mental health. As a result, this problem worsens due to a lack of timely intervention. However, in schools, we identify these issues in children through teachers and counselling, and we work to resolve them.”