New Guidelines For Coaching Centers: Student's Mental Health In Focus (image: Bisworaj Saheb/unsplash)
The Union Education Ministry in India has issued new guidelines for regulating coaching institutes on Thursday. As per the new regulations, coaching centers cannot enroll students below 16 years, and cannot make misleading promises or good marks.
Central government“s new guideline gave stress on the mental well-being of the students. It recommend organising classes without placing unnecessary pressure on its students. The high pressure and academic competition on students points to rise in student suicide cases. Coaching centers would formulate system for immediate intervention in order to provide “targeted and sustained assistance” to students in distress and stressful situation, the guideline added.
It put forward that a counseling system be developed by the coaching centers, make it easily accessible for the students and parents. Information about the psychologists and their services should be available to both students and parents and trained personnel in this regard should be appointed in the coaching centers. With the assistance of career counselors, the student”s interest, aptitude and capability should be tested accordingly and it should lead the students along with their parents to realistic career expectations.
“Regular workshops and awareness weeks may be arranged for parents, students and teachers
on mental health and prevention of stress by the coaching center,” guideline added. Besides, it should focus on basic training in health, good nutrition, personal and public hygiene, disaster response and first-aid as well as detrimental effects of alcohol and drug use. Positive parenting need to be highlighted when interactive session organised for parents by the center being held.
Tutors need to undergo training in mental health issues in order to communicate information “effectively and sensitively” to students. Furthermore, the guidelines promotes peer group interaction and group-based curricular exercises. The doubts of student should be clarified by the tutors who taught in the class so that student feel satisfied, it added.
The guideline has also added framework for promotion of mental health in the institution, and it given below:
