Srinagar, Mar 25: In a positive development, the Government Girls Higher Secondary School (GGHSS) has taken a positive step by initiating measures to combat the academic stress and support mental health of the students in school.
The initiative has been taken amid the concern raised about the students getting involved in depression either due to academic stress or other social issues.
The head of the Guidance and Counseling Cell of the GGHSS Pampore, Dr Rabia Naseem Mughal along with the other faculty members of the school have taken initiative to ease academic burden of the students besides taking care of their wellbeing as well.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Dr Rabia Naseem Mughal who is working as a lecturer in the higher secondary said they are working to identify the issues faced by students, including academic stress, mental health concerns, social integration challenges, career indecision, and personal crises.
“We convened a meeting wherein the participants shared their experiences dealing with student issues and provided insights into the root causes and manifestations of these challenges,” she told Greater Kashmir.
Dr Mughal said that the primary focus of the initiative is to provide remedies and solutions to address the identified issues.
“We are trying to increase access to counselling services through workshops, individual sessions, and group therapy sessions. We will start peer support programmes to foster a sense of community and provide students with a platform to share their experiences and seek advice from their peers,” she said.
She said the Guidance and Counseling Cell along with the faculty members of the school will work on enhancing academic support services to help students manage their workload and improve study skills.
“We are trying to create a supportive learning environment that promotes mental health and well-being. If needed we will provide resources and referrals for students in need of specialised assistance, such as mental health professionals or career advisors,” she said.
The school has formulated an action plan to replicate the remedies in all the clusters for the benefit of the students.
The faculty members of the school also released a video discussing the action plan which received appreciation on social media.
The school also received appreciation from the School Education Department for taking such a student friendly initiative.
“Exciting news from GGHSS Pampore. The in-charge Guidance and Counseling Cell is focusing on combating academic stress and mental health challenges. They have proposed solutions like expanded counseling services and peer support programmes, devising an actionable plan for continuous support. Kudos to the Principal and I/C Counseling Cell for prioritizing student well-being,” School Education Department shared on its official Twitter (X) handle.
“Career guidance and counseling for adolescent girls of 2457 schools is already in progress,” it said.
As already reported by this newspaper, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) in the Ministry of Education (MoE) has already stressed on making teachers first-level counselors for the students besides laying focus on introducing regional sports activities in schools.