There is a renewed focus on whether schools in the city have adequate infrastructure for mental health to support children in distress. The Delhi government schools have a permanent position for counsellors, termed ‘Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellors’ (EVGCs), who are responsible for counselling services at up to four schools each. The guidelines specify that these counsellors are shared between schools and are collectively overseen by an auxiliary body, known as the EVGC Bureau, which comes under the Directorate of Education (DoE).

However, this mechanism does not have a practical impact on the ground. Principals and former EVGC counsellors point out that due to the shared responsibilities, focus and attention on students struggling with behavioural issues becomes very difficult. Additionally, reports point out that there should be one counsellor for every 250-300 students, but that is a number far from reality.

An affidavit filed by the DoE at the Delhi High Court in 2020 states that schools have a large number of vacant posts.

The affidavit mentions that requisitions have been sent to the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) for 638 of such posts, among which only 148 have been advertised. This basically means that most of the EVGC posts remain unadvertised, and thereby the recruitment process for them has not even started as of then.

Meanwhile, the education minister, Ashish Sood, responding to questions over gaps in school mental-health systems on Friday, acknowledged the urgent need to reassess how schools handle emotional distress among students. He said the government would write to all schools to verify whether CBSE-mandated mental-health frameworks are being properly implemented. “If any school needs support, we will help and hand-hold them. Our concern is that the next generation remains mentally healthy and aren’t distressed,” he said.

This comes in the aftermath of a 16-year-old boy jumping in front of a metro train at Rajendra Place on Wednesday afternoon, leaving behind a suicide note that named several teachers who have allegedly tormented him for years, and requested that his organs be donated.

(Written by Ifrah Mufti and Aditi Ray Chowdhury of The New Indian Express)