Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviews draft mental health policy for school

Emphasising the importance of a holistic and preventive approach, Pradhan underscored the need to “foster safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments, build a positive school culture that promotes mental well-being, empathy, care, trust and emotional resilience, and integrate mental health and well-being into school system, practices and implementation as an integral part of quality education”.

The minister also said the policy should “leverage Indian Knowledge Systems and culture” and be “practically implementable”, while positioning teachers as the first level of mentors for students. Officials had said last month that the ministry is also set to roll out a mental health policy at the school level and place it in the public domain soon.

“We will be putting it in the public domain very shortly,” an official said, adding that it is likely to be released in the first week of June.

“A child’s mental health is influenced not only by school but also by the home environment. Therefore, it is essential for all to come together and regularly review the child’s academic and overall progress,” he said.

The policy is expected to focus on strengthening mental health support systems in schools, including counselling and early identification of stress among students.