Mental Health Crisis In Students: Only 1,012 Schools Have Counselors In Kerala
In Kerala, mental health concerns among students, including suicide, substance abuse, and other psychological issues, have been steadily increasing. However, the lack of sufficient counselling facilities in schools is becoming a growing concern in addressing these challenges.
According to a report by Samakaliga Malayalam, Dr CJ John, a prominent psychiatrist and advocate for mental health services, the state has 12,644 schools, including 4,504 government schools, 7,277 aided schools, and 863 unaided schools. Of these, only 1,012 government schools currently have counselling services, with just one counsellor assigned to each.
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While the central government introduced the Kishori Shakti Yojana in 2008 to provide psychosocial support, the initiative was later phased out.
However, the state government took over and expanded the program. Unfortunately, it has not been implemented across all government and aided schools.
“The nature of challenges faced by students today has changed, and there is an urgent need to improve the skills and support provided by school counselors,” said Dr CJ John, quoted Samakaliga Malayalam.
Furthermore, the shortage of counselors, coupled with their low salaries and heavy workloads, hinders their ability to provide the necessary support.
This lack of adequate resources is preventing effective social and psychological rehabilitation for students. According to Dhanya Abid, State General Secretary of the Organisation of Social Workers and Counselors (OSWSC), the absence of teacher and principal support makes it difficult to handle troubled students, as reported Samakaliga Malayalam.
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The report said that discussions are ongoing at the Chief Minister’s level, and multiple meetings have been held with experts to expand the school counselling program.
A policy decision is now needed to make this initiative more effective, said Sharmila Mary Joseph, Secretary of the Department of Women and Child Development.
Number of Counselors in Schools by District, as per Samakaliga Malayalam.
- Thiruvananthapuram – 78
- Kollam – 87
- Pathanamthitta – 47
- Alappuzha – 58
- Kottayam – 61
- Idukki – 69
- Ernakulam – 68
- Thrissur – 77
- Palakkad – 79
- Malappuram – 97
- Kozhikode – 79
- Wayanad – 60
- Kannur – 94
- Kasaragod – 58
