INDIA: Child rights panel moots counsellors for all schools

[NEW DELHI, 20 February 2008] -  Moved by the mounting cases of violence amongst school children, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has urged the Centre to introduce legislation which would make it mandatory for all schools (including private institutions) to have full-time counsellors for students.

The decision comes nearly two months after two class-eight students allegedly shot dead their classmate at a private school in Gurgaon. More recently, a class eight student of a government school in Delhi stabbed his senior with a knife. A student in a school in Satna (Madhya Pradesh) was also shot dead by his classmate a month ago.

The commission is of the opinion that these “unfortunate and shocking” incidents are on
the rise as students are not being counselled properly about anger management. “These incidents don’t occur all of a sudden. It’s obvious that they take place when repeated fights and arguments between students go unnoticed in school,” said Sandhya Bajaj, member NCPCR.

Bajaj said that the commission would urge the central government to bring in a legislation making it compulsory for all schools, private and public, to have full time dedicated counsellors.

“A majority of schools in the country either don’t have student counsellors or have regular teachers doubling up as counsellors. It is important that institutions for primary and secondary educations should have full-time dedicated counsellors. Some schools have part-time career counsellors but they do not solve the purpose,” said Bajaj.

Psychologists have hailed the initiative and called it a “step in the right direction”, but have expressed concern over the fact that the recommendation may not result into a legislation. “The child commission has taken the right step.

However, having a single counsellor will not solve the problem completely. Schools can have tie-ups with visiting clinical psychologists so that a team of such specialised people can conduct routine interactions with students,” said noted psychologist Dr Samir Parikh of Max Healthcare.

The commission also wants regular interaction between parents and teachers. “If there are persistent complaints about a student getting into fights or arguments or showing signs that can’t be called normal behaviour, the parents must be immediately briefed,” Bajaj said.

Further information

• Teacher abuse driving children from school, says govt (19 February 2008)
• Mental health neglected worldwide (4 September 2007)
• More on education