Bringing The Mental Dimension In Holistic School Health

Photographs | Sentia – The Global School

In the Indian education system so far, ‘school health’ has largely remained confined to medical check-ups of children or few hours of health instruction in the curriculum. There is a growing awareness and evidence that mental health and psycho-social well-being of children is of fundamental value and schools can provide the necessary means required to improve children’s health, self-esteem, life skills and behaviour.

At Sentia – The Global School, the word health is a combination of one’s physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. Our children spend more time in school than they do anywhere else including their homes. And not surprisingly then, school is (and should be) one of the best places for both teachers and students to become increasing aware of mental health, mental health issues and disorders.

Mental health focus areas – The onus is on the educators

• Mental health training: The entire staff in schools should undergo a basic training of mental health challenges which students can face. This enables the educators to identify, help and support the children in need. Regular teacher training programs to update and enhance the capacity of teachers is needed.
• Discussing mental health: Teachers and children need to have open discussions about mental health issues. This will enable both to identify issues early on and helps to build students’ knowledge and understanding about importance of mental health.
• Create safe spaces: Schools should ensure that children feel a sense of belonging, have good peer and teacher relationship, and should feel that they are listened to.
• Integrating mental health education in curriculum: If mental health is integrated into curriculum it will help not only in recognising and accepting mental health issues, but also in formulating strategies to deal with those issues effectively.

Holistic development at Sentia – The Global School

Recognising the need for counselling and psychosocial intervention for adolescents, Sentia – The Global School ‘s counselling unit facilitates our children to experience a sense of well-being so that they grow up into adults with constructive attitude towards self and society.

The institute strives to build collaboration with all the stakeholders involved in emotional and behavioural health programmes for adolescents through extensive group work, interventions, workshops and awareness campaigns. Campaigns on diverse issues of family life, education, empathy, ethic-integrity and stress management are launched.  We are committed to help adolescents, actualize their dreams, and help them develop a healthy sense of personal identity.

Workshops and webinars by leading psychologists for senior students are conducted frequently. These sessions help students deal with exam stress effectively where they equip themselves with required study and stress management skills.

School fetes at Sentia are also an opportunity for students to set aside theoretical knowledge and learn practical application of lessons which life has to offer. Right from working in larger groups, learning coordination and communication, these fetes offer a unique platform for children to lend a helping hand to the differently-abled members as well as the under-privileged section of the society. The fete’s profits are transferred to villages where students also experience and soak in values such as empathy, kindness and gratitude.

Our students are being offered such platforms which impart life-skills education both implicitly and explicitly so that they develop holistically and grow into competent young citizens who are adept at facing the realities of life. As an institution we take pride that we are doing our bit in instilling deep rooted values in children from a very tender age.