Running schools amid pandemic

The pandemic has altered the lifestyle and development of children to a level beyond one could imagine. While the children from privileged backgrounds could afford their education through online mode, the others were left to fend against the adversities.

The inaccessible education, lack of socialisation and uncertain times has left the children with compromised mental health. Several mental health issues like anxiety, depression and behavioural problems have reached a new high among children.

Though the schools have resumed for children from class 6 due to reduced infections levels and positivity rate, a greater task is on schools to reinstate mental wellbeing among children. Mere resumption of classes will not help children who have gone through the trauma of facing unprecedented situations, losing close relatives and prolonged deprivation of socialisation and play.

It is pertinent to appoint a qualified school counsellor or a school social worker in every government school as there is a longstanding need for mental health services in these schools. Mental health issues in children, if unaddressed, will have a pernicious impact on their academic and personal life.

The overall wellbeing of school children needs to be achieved with a more holistic approach that incorporates all the components of health and not merely conducting physical examination once a year.

Through peer education and awareness is being imparted in the government schools for adolescents, there may be several issues related to younger children like conduct problems, learning and academic issues and mental health problems which require a great deal of attention, which only a trained counsellor, psychologist or a professional social worker can provide.

In fact, studies suggest that there has to be combined teamwork of school-based mental health services that comprises of students and their families, teachers, and school and community-based mental health counsellors, legal and medical professionals.

While most of the government school teachers express the need for a school counsellor a few consider it unaffordable as many schools do not even have the basic facilities like water, sanitation and adequate teachers.

Public schools are considered less privileged when compared with private schools in India as they receive apathy most often from the government. Rashtriya Bala Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) that provides school health services needs to be revised to incorporate mental health services as the general health of a child cannot be viewed discretely from mental health.

The writer is a research associate working with GRAAM