The dairy of Mahadevi Birla World Academy now includes standard procedures for “psycho-social wellness” of students. It also mentions that any child identified with academic, behavioural, or emotional challenges can be referred to the school’s psychologists and counsellors by teachers, staff, parents, or peers.

The diary will be distributed to students on the first day of the new academic session in April.

Senior students may approach the counsellor directly to address their needs, the school authorities said. This will make the service more accessible and normalised for students.

The framework has been designed to safeguard students from physical, emotional, and psychological risks while ensuring early identification, prevention and effective management of stress, anxiety, behavioural issues and academic pressure, the school has stated.

The school hopes the space provided to “psycho social counselling mechanism in school,” will help in negating stigma, educate parents and make counselling more accessible.

“Putting it down in the school diary will make the reach more uniform because the school diary goes to every single parent and thus will become an equaliser instead of singling out anybody. The whole stigma associated with mental health when a child is referred to a counsellor will be negated to some extent,” said Anjana Saha, principal, Mahadevi Birla World Academy.

“This is also to educate parents about the role of counsellors because many don’t know. A section of parents withdraw from seeking help since a stigma is associated with it,” Saha said.

Teachers spoke of the need for awareness among parents and students that an informed, trained adult is present on the campus to hear them out and provide support.

But the school does not want adults or those around a child to go overboard about seeking help.

“Caution should be maintained by one and all, as not every behaviour or emotion needs to be addressed with psychological terms,” the school has said

Not every feeling of sadness means being depressed, restlessness is not always hyperactivity, and not every anxious feeling is stress or anxiety, the school has said.

The CBSE, through a circular sent to its affiliated schools last month, focused on mental health and wellness.

The board has asked schools to sensitise parents so that they do not put undue academic pressure on students, recognise signs of psychological distress, and respond empathetically.

In the school diary, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, a CBSE institution, has outlined the standard procedures to be followed if a child is in distress or needs help.

Post-assessment, the intervention starts in coordination with teachers, parents and peers.

In case the student needs help beyond what is provided by the school and parents, they have been recommended to go for further psychological assessment, and, based
on the result, future action is framed, the school has said.