The Gujarat government has made mental health support systems compulsory in secondary and higher secondary schools. According to a state government release issued on Sunday, as reported by India Today, the new rules aim to spot student distress early, prevent suicides and reduce academic pressure.
Key points
- Every school with Classes 9 to 12 must form a School Wellness Team at the start of each academic year.
- Schools with 100 or more students must appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist or social worker.
- Schools cannot segregate students on the basis of marks or publicly humiliate them.
- The rules follow Supreme Court guidelines and use the NCERT's UMMEED framework as a reference.
What the new rules say
The provisions come under the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Regulations, 1974. They apply to Classes 9 to 12 in schools affiliated with the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB).
Each School Wellness Team will be headed by the principal. A counsellor or a designated teacher will act as coordinator. The team will also include one teacher each from the secondary and higher secondary sections, a representative of the School Management Committee, a non-teaching staff member and two student peer leaders called 'Mano-Mitra'. The team's work will be reviewed every year.
These teams will look after students' emotional well-being, identify early signs of mental distress and respond to suicide risks and other emergencies.
Counsellors, peer support and smaller schools
Schools with 100 or more students must appoint at least one qualified professional trained in child and adolescent mental health. Schools with fewer than 100 students must set up formal referral arrangements with outside mental health professionals and nearby community or primary health centres. They may also refer students to the District Mental Health Programme and Tele-MANAS services.
Under the Mano-Mitra initiative, selected students will give first-level emotional support to classmates. They will also help those who need more assistance to reach the right support services.
Schools must also arrange extra mentoring and counselling during stressful periods. These include board examinations, result announcements, and the move from Class 8 to 9 and from Class 10 to 11.
No segregation or shaming over marks
To ease academic pressure, the regulations stop schools from separating students according to their examination results or marks. Schools are also barred from publicly humiliating students or comparing their academic performance with that of others, according to the report.
Why it matters
The move comes amid growing concern over examination stress, competition for marks, excessive social media use, family expectations and anxiety about the future. For students and parents in Gujarat, the rules mean every eligible school must have a clear system to listen to and support children in difficulty.
The state has also said the rules are framed in line with Supreme Court guidelines and directions on student mental health and suicide prevention.
