Seoul to protect student mental health from 1st day of school
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced Wednesday a raft of measures to ensure schools are spaces where students feel mentally and emotionally at ease, say there was a need to address deteriorating mental health.
The office said it would deploy counselors to all schools, expand social and emotional learning across all grade levels and establish a 24-hour student counseling call center to provide immediate support to those in need.
The initiative, announced to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, emphasizes cooperative efforts by schools, offices of education and local governments, taking preemptive measures not only for at-risk individuals but for all students from elementary through high school.
In the past, counselors were primarily assigned to middle and high schools, where school violence was most serious. But with more than 50 new school counselors to be assigned each year over the next five years, support will be expanded to elementary schools.
According to the office, a separate student support team will meet to identify and systematically support students in need. The 10th of every month will be designated as Mental Wellness Day to encourage students to reflect on their emotional well-being.
The office is scheduled to develop and distribute social and emotional learning (SEL) materials for all 12 school grades, implement at least 15 SEL-themed classes each year and provide teachers with training in SEL education.
A 24/7 call center will operate to enable students to request help anytime and anywhere.
Upon request, an emergency response team will be dispatched within one hour, and an immediate connection will be made with the support teams at the relevant education office.
The office added that it would establish an alternative education institution providing both treatment and education for students in psychological and emotional crisis by 2026, offering counseling, personalized learning and connections to different medical institutions.
“Since COVID-19, our students’ mental health indicators have deteriorated, with increases in stress, depression, loneliness and anxiety,” Seoul’s Superintendent of Education Jung Keun-sik said Wednesday in a press briefing at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education headquarters in central Seoul.
“The excessive use of smartphones and social media has contributed to the rise of depression and anxiety, increasing the proportion of students who urgently need help. We will start the change toward a safer Seoul school system where even the smallest signal from a student results in help within 48 hours.”
Jung urged different organizations and relevant agencies to support the office’s initiative to protect students’ mental health.
“Supporting students in crisis cannot be accomplished by the education office alone. It requires unified efforts from the Seoul education community, civil society, political leaders and the central government to protect our children. We ask for your active participation and support,” he said.
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