The Education System in India has gone through an enormous change. If we go back to trace its routes, it all started with a Gurukul System. Children interested in attaining education would go to a Gurukul, where they would have to stay until the fulfilment of their studies. The ‘Guru’ would provide proper guidance to the ‘shishya’ in all walks of life. This system of education provided an all-round development teaching to live a balanced life. The ‘shishya’, on having achieved his goals, would go to the outside world to practice the learnt skills, mannerisms and spread the received holistic knowledge.

With times changing and centuries running by, with a foreign domination empowering us for years together, influenced a change in this system of education. Today our country has a varied system of education. In each state we can see different boards functioning. And each of these lays’ emphasis distinctively either on the methods of evaluation or on a variety of co-curricular activities. There is no doubt that the education system in India has its advantages. It teaches our students about the rich history that we inherit, it creates a pathway to students to choose a desired career and also helps us live our daily lives effectively.

The National Policy of Education that most of our schools and universities followed till date was entirely based on what was drafted in 1986. After which very little or no changes have been made at all in our Indian System of Education. Knowing well that our system lacks in a few areas and bringing about a change in the way the education system works, it was deemed that a change is vital and hence the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was drafted and approved which has to be compulsorily be practiced latest by 2022. The news of a change brings joy and contentment, that finally after years of having followed a system that only sold degrees, a change will happen and it would be for the good of our future generation.

On the other hand, an alarming situation that has been calling attention in recent times is the number of suicide rates which are on an increase. According to The Hindu, the latest available reports of India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of 2018 shows that 10,159 students commit suicide every year. The Times of India supports these facts and adds that the most common reasons for suicide among students are mental health issues or addiction and no coping strategies in place. The competition is so much on the rise that acceptance of failure doesn’t go well with students and the easiest way out is seen as suicide. To make things worse, the pandemic has added further more stress related to various uncertainties that lay ahead.

These increasing numbers are strikingly a siren call. That’s where it’s important to draw a connection between our education system and the increasing suicide rates. It’s a sad reality that the Indian Education System only teaches competitiveness and theoretical facts related to a particular subject. It however fails to help us apply this theory in our daily lives. More heart wrenching is that, it has never emphasized on mental health of the students. The previous Education Policy did introduce counselors, but the ground reality was that some schools didn’t even incorporate it. The other schools which did implement it, did so only to fill a post. The recent NEP promises a holistic development of a child. But whether the mental health education would be emphasized on, would only be seen upon its implementation.

The main aim of Indian Education system today is to help students grow and become better citizens tomorrow. Are we failing to achieve it? Of what use is education when we aren’t teaching students basic life skills and coping strategies. Education does not make sense at all if a student doesn’t know how to put the acquired knowledge in use during his or her testing times. Hence a strong need is seen in making mental health a compulsory part of the curriculum as much as sports or other activities are. Implication of mental health policies will help students in different ways. Various stakeholders at schools and universities need to be trained to lay emphasis on it. All have to be provided is the required training to help our future generations to be better citizens in its true sense.

The reason emphasis on mental health should be laid as early as in school is because most of the social and emotional development happens at this time. It is necessary that students are made resilient as its impact is seen over a lifetime. This is the time children are seen learning how to form friendships, how they feel about themselves and others which in turn helps develop self-esteem, confidence and social relationships. At the same time, the most amount of challenges faced by students is at this stage, where they are excluded by peers from social circles, bullied, stripped off their self-confidence by teachers, friends or even parents or even abused. All these problems manifest early signs and symptoms of mental health. If caught early among students, the necessary help provided on time can reduce the impact or else it will be seen in its full impact during adulthood.

Various advantages seen of implication of mental health in schools and universities are as follows:-

1. It helps spread awareness among students regarding various mental health issues that exist.

2. It helps in early identification and early help provided for students who go through it.

3. It helps students build up coping mechanisms and be prepared with a solution to problems that they face.

4. It helps in reducing stigma and allows students freely to approach for professional help.

5. It teaches to be more empathetic and sensitive to dealing with situations thus knowing that life is valuable and needs to be cared for.

If our education system in India understands the worth of how lives matter and teach students right from elementary psychological concepts apt for each stage, like for example, body safety in elementary schools, importance of healthy friendships and self-worth in secondary schools and dealing with stress and competition at later stages is going to benefit. By this, we are teaching students that problems are an integral part of life, but facing them boldly and moreover overcoming them with various strategies taught is a better option than taking away their own life.

Thus, the message needs to go out loud and clear to all stakeholders that there is no health without mental health! If our students are mentally fit, then only can they cope up with various challenges that life brings either emotional or physical. A sound mind is a key to a healthy body. This would thus help in achieving the goal of making a positive impact on the society and being better, responsible and strong headed citizens of India.

It’s the need of the hour and a wakeup call for each and every one of us to arise and stand strong in promoting mental health for a better future.

 

The author has completed his master's in Child Psychology and Child Development and is currently pursuing Bachelor in Education. He is a voracious reader and passionate and dedicated in imparting quality education. He is a life coach and career counselor and believes in making a difference.

Image credits: Picryl.com

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