Education Ministry Issues Draft Guidelines for Schools To Prevent Student Suicides

The Ministry of Education (MoE) issued a set of draft guidelines for schools in an effort to curb the rising cases of student self-harm.

The guidelines, which are known as 'Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower, Develop' (UMMEED), are aimed at improving sensitivity to and support for students who may be at risk of self-harm.

“A school wellness team (SWT) may be formed under the leadership of the school principal, where each member is oriented in handling crisis situations. 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 guidelines state.

The guidelines suggest a year-long orientation for teachers and family members to help raise awareness of student suicides. The schools will undertake these orientations in order to strengthen the capacity of various stakeholders.

The recommendations, which emphasize the necessity for rapid response to a student exhibiting warning symptoms or found attempting self-harm, identify the measures that may be performed by an individual at the school or a member of the wellness team in such a circumstance.