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Haryana Students' Mental Health: New SAATH Project Launched
5 Nov
Summary
- Haryana proposes SAATH project for student mental health support.
- UMEED centres, established in 2018, effectively ceased regular operations two years ago.
- New initiative to monitor student behavior, screen phone usage, and identify distress.
Haryana's government has put forth a new proposal called the SAATH project to bolster mental health and counselling services for students experiencing distress. This initiative follows a recent alarming incident involving a young child. The state had previously established UMEED counselling and wellness centers in 2018 to support student well-being, but these centers effectively ceased regular operations approximately two years ago after an education department order.
The SAATH project aims to reintroduce structured mental health support, with teachers assigned weekly counselling duties. They will engage with students individually and in groups, observing behavioral changes and identifying signs of aggression or emotional distress. The initiative will also examine students' exposure to mobile phones, social media, and violent online content that might influence their behavior.
This proposed mechanism will encompass both school education and higher education institutions. The state is also planning to form a high-level expert body comprising child psychologists and mental health professionals. This committee will conduct a broader assessment of children's mental health needs across the state, looking beyond specific incidents to address systemic issues and enhance support systems for students.
