Will Centre's 'UMMEED' help tackle the problem of student suicides?

Suicides among students has become the biggest concern. The Union Ministry of Education (MoE) has released the draft guidelines for schools to prevent it. The ‘plan of action’ calls for the formation of wellness teams, training of teachers and parents, and prompt action when pupils show warning signs. The guidelines, which are dubbed UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empower, Develop), are intended to serve as “directions to schools for increasing sensitivity, understanding, and providing support in cases of reported self-harm.” The School Wellness Teams With “Every Child Matters” as the underlying belief in developing the guidelines, the draft details directions to schools for enhancing sensitivity and understanding and providing support in case of reported self-harm. The rules emphasise the development of ‘School Wellness Teams (SWT)’ chaired by the principal and comprising school counsellors, students, teachers, a representative of the school management committee, and a member of the school supporting staff. “When a student displaying warning signs has been identified by any stakeholder, they need to be reported to the SWT, which takes immediate action. “The SWT will also play an important role in implementation of school activities directed towards creating awareness about mental well-being, leading towards suicide prevention. However, SWT alone will not suffice in a school’s efforts towards prevention of suicide and would require the support of all stakeholders,” the guidelines said. [caption id=“attachment_13200722” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The draft for UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower, Develop) guidelines comes at a time when a record number of students preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams in coaching hub Kota have died by suicides in 2023. File image/PTI[/caption] It has also been recommended that depending on the resources available within the school, the SWT be reconstituted on a regular basis to give all stakeholders in the school the opportunity to build awareness and capacity. Identifying warning signs and counselling students The guidelines classify warning signs into three types: feelings, attitude, and actions. Students who demonstrate sentiments of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, guilt and humiliation, or who lack concentration, retreat from social contacts, or experience rapid mood changes are at risk. **Also Read: 17 deaths in 2023: How student suicides are becoming a tragic reality of Kota** The guidelines also identify pupils who engage in risky behaviours, talk about self-harm or suicide, or become disconnected as showing warning signs. “The warning signs are indicators that a student is at risk of suicide. Identifying the warning signs is important to provide timely support to students, as it is these signs which would lead to identifying those at risk of harming themselves,” says the guidelines, as reported Hindustan Times. Following the identification of the students, the wellness teams would listen to them and encourage them to speak with counsellors. Counsellors would interact with pupils during counselling sessions. Staff will maintain track of these students and continue to follow up with them in compliance with the requirements. Encouraging peer support by organising activities The draft, which has been obtained by PTI, also promotes nurturing partnerships between schools, parents, and the community, as a vital method for preventing suicides and decreasing the stigma associated with suicidal tendencies. [caption id=“attachment_13200742” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Students who demonstrate sentiments of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, guilt and humiliation, or who lack concentration, retreat from social contacts, or experience rapid mood changes are at risk. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay[/caption] It further recommended that in order to effectively prevent suicides and ensure appropriate and timely response in situations of crisis, schools must actively work towards building the capacity of all stakeholders which includes teachers and school staff, students, families of students and others. “An important step in this direction is to enhance their knowledge and encouraging peer support, organising activities on a regular basis for relaxing and reducing stress, providing channels for expression, compiling resources to seek support, integrating mental well-being in school functioning, creating a safe environment in school and beyond including vigilance at railway tracks, river banks, bridges, cliffs, medical shops, etc,” the draft guidelines stated. Discarding damaging notions Suicide among young students often stems from a combination of various factors. The reasons for suicide vary from person to person, and sometimes it can be an impulsive act that occurs as a result of urgent events generating significant stress. **Also Read: 98 students died by suicide in higher education institutions in past five years: Government** “Students go through many transitions during their school life which can cause extreme stress, for example, transition from home to school, from one school to another, school to college, losing a parent, sibling, friend, near and dear one, etc. “Along with this, children also experience changes as they progress through the developmental stages, leading to concerns such as those related to physical changes and appearance, peer pressure, career decisions, academic pressure, and many more. Amidst these challenges, a single insensitive comment has the potential to inflict lasting harm,” the guidelines noted. The draft recommends, discarding damaging notions, including comparisons with peers, the perception of failure as permanent and the sole measurement of success based on academic performance, besides locking empty classrooms, lighting up dark corridors and cleaning gardens and areas with excess growth of grass. The draft for UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower, Develop) guidelines comes at a time when a record number of students preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams in coaching hub Kota have died of suicides in 2023. A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022-27546669 With inputs from PTI