Bhopal: School education department has asked District Education Officers to organise special activities with children and teachers to handle post Covid mental health issues. Rajya Shiksha Kendra has also given over dozen ideas related to activities that can be held in schools for this purpose.
Rajya Shiksha Kendra director Dhanaraju S shot a letter to DEO and District Project Coordinators asking them to take special care of children and teachers to handle post-Covid mental health issues.
Schools across the state have opened after one-a-half years. Many children have lost their near and dear ones in the pandemic. Several others have witnessed problems like financial crisis that have led to unpleasant situations at home. Besides, children remained confined to homes for so long, which may have changed their behaviour.
Schools have been asked to organise activities like storytelling sessions where children can speak their heart out. Schools have also been advised to hold creative games and activities like painting, writing slogans, essays etc. “Main objective behind organising these activities is to open up children so that they share their bad experiences and feel lightened,” said Dhanaraju.
Schools have also been advised to mark a corner and term it like Khushi ka Kona or Aao Baat Kare. Positive stories will be shared that lays positive impact on children, he added. Online sessions including talks with experts and cartoon shows will also conducted for children that would help build a positive atmosphere around.
Psychologist Vinay Mishra said such moves will help the school children to overcome the trauma they had undergone during pandemic. It is not necessary that children who have lost someone will have impact rather other elements including their confinement at home or studying online for more than a year may have brought behavioural change in children. Such step will help them,” he added.
