The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued new directions to all its affiliated schools, mandating the appointment of counselors and wellness teachers in accordance with the newly notified guidelines. As per the directive, every secondary and senior secondary school is required to appoint qualified personnel to perform the roles of socio-emotional counselor and career counselor, to strengthen students’ mental health, emotional well-being, and career guidance support systems.
According to the CBSE order, schools must maintain a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:500 for students enrolled in Classes 9 to 12. This means that institutions will need to appoint one counseling and wellness teacher for every 500 students or part thereof. The board has clearly outlined the eligibility criteria for such appointments to ensure professional and effective delivery of counseling services in schools.
The appointed counseling and wellness teacher must possess a master’s or bachelor’s degree in psychology—including clinical, counseling, applied, or educational psychology—or a master’s degree in social work with specialisation in mental health or counseling. Alternatively, candidates holding a graduate or postgraduate degree in any discipline along with a diploma in school counseling or child guidance and counseling will also be considered eligible.
CBSE has further specified that the appointed professionals must demonstrate competencies in social and emotional learning (SEL), crisis intervention, identification of mental health concerns, confidentiality, and sensitisation of parents and teachers. In addition, these counselors are required to undergo a minimum of 50 hours of capacity building programmes (CBP3) offered by the board for psychosocial counseling. The board has also encouraged schools to adopt the CBSE counseling hub-and-spoke model to enhance access to counseling and student well-being services.
Alongside the counseling mandate, CBSE has announced key amendments to its affiliation by-laws, particularly concerning minimum land requirements for schools. Under the revised norms, schools seeking CBSE affiliation must be located within the municipal limits of ‘Y’ category cities, as notified by the Government of India, to be considered eligible.
The revised by-laws also specify special provisions for certain regions. Schools located in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep must have a minimum play area of 2,000 square metres within the school campus. Furthermore, schools operating under relaxed land norms with a total land area of less than 6,000 square metres must still ensure a play area of at least 2,000 square metres.
In cases where adequate play space is not available within the campus, schools may make formal arrangements with nearby schools, colleges, stadiums, sports complexes, or public parks maintained by government or local authorities. Such arrangements must be valid for a minimum period of 15 years and should be located within 200 metres of the school campus.
CBSE has emphasised that access to such external facilities must be safe and convenient, ensuring that students do not have to cross district, state, or national highways or any major roads with heavy traffic, as these could pose serious safety risks. The board stated that student safety must not be compromised under any circumstances while implementing these provisions.
Through these measures, CBSE aims to strengthen student mental health support, ensure holistic development, and maintain uniform infrastructure and safety standards across its affiliated schools nationwide.