To cater to the mental health and psychosocial needs of school-going children in the Kashmir valley, the Child Guidance and Wellbeing Centre IMHANS Kashmir (supported by UNICEF), in partnership with the Directorate of School Education Department Kashmir (DSEK), has conducted a capacity training programme for teachers in the six districts. This initiative has trained more than 360 teachers and provided counselling to 460 students so far.
According to Syed Mujtaba, Coordinator at CGWC IMHANS Kashmir, the Directorate of School Education Department Kashmir and the Child Guidance and Well being Centre have collaborated to launch this program. The aim is to provide proper training to teachers in government schools as part of a capacity-building programme and counselling for the students.
“All the teachers in the government schools across the ten districts of the Kashmir valley will undergo comprehensive training as part of this program. The training programme commenced on October 1 and will continue until December 2023,” Mujtaba said.
Mujtaba further mentioned that a team of experts from CGWC IMHANS Kashmir and resources personnel from the Director of School Education Kashmir have already provided training to 360 teachers in six districts, namely Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Shopian. Additionally, 460 students from government schools have also received counselling on psychosocial education from the expert team.
The coordinator stated that, as part of the capacity-building programme, three types of training sessions were offered to teachers in five districts. These sessions focused on positive discipline in both schools and classrooms, identifying mental health and psychosocial issues among school-going children, and highlighting the negative impacts of corporal punishment on students.
“The programme was conducted in government schools by a team consisting of clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychiatrists, social workers, remedial education experts, and programme coordinators from CGWC IMHANS Kashmir, along with resource persons from the Director of School Education Kashmir. Additionally, we will continue to provide training to teachers and counselling services for students in the remaining five districts of the Kashmir Valley until December 2023,” he said.
Mujtaba mentioned that if granted permission by the government, they will extend the training programmes and counseling services to students in private schools throughout the Kashmir valley, through which the teachers of the private schools will also get trained under this initiative.
Additionally, these trained teachers from government schools will further conduct training sessions for government teachers at the zonal levels in a systematic manner. The CGWC IMHANS Kashmir will also offer comprehensive support to all zonal-level programmes across the Kashmir valley.
“Under this training programme, teachers will also be trained on how to establish positive discipline in classrooms, schools, and among students. The training will be provided in all 90 education zones of the Kashmir valley, covering all government schools,” Mujtaba said.
He further said that this training programme will aid teachers in comprehending the detrimental effects, both psychological and legal, that may arise within school environments. “Additionally, we shall offer psychoeducation to students with the aim of safeguarding, promoting, and preventing mental health issues in the daily lives of school-going children”, he said.
Mujtaba said that they were committed to advocating against corporal punishment, a practice that has already been prohibited by various laws.
“ Our aim is to ensure the complete implementation of this ban in schools throughout the Kashmir Valley. By doing so, we anticipate a transformation in the school environment and classrooms, leading to improved teacher-student relationships”, he said.
He emphasised the importance of equipping stakeholders who directly or indirectly interact with children with the necessary skills to understand their mental health, developmental milestones, and environmental concerns.
He specifically highlighted the role of teachers as the primary stakeholders in the education system, stating that their ability to identify and address issues affecting children in schools is crucial for early intervention and appropriate referrals. By providing training programmes for teachers, their capacities will be enhanced, ultimately leading to improved educational environments and comprehensive development opportunities for children in school settings.
He added that, with proper training for teachers in these programmes and counselling provided to students at the grassroots level, significant improvements can be seen in schools. This will also lead to a reduction in mental health cases among children in both schools and the Kashmir Valley.
He stated, “We are optimistic about completing this initiative by the end of the year and are also conducting awareness programmes and other activities related to children in schools, through which mental health cases are reduced among the school-going children”.
