M M Jasim :
The Education Ministry has taken a plan to make the counselling among the students in all the educational institutions every day to eliminate trend of committing suicide.
The ministry will also formulate a policy in this regard, the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the ministry sources said.
The initiative of the ministry came after an article titled “Counselling useful tool to bring discipline in classroom” published in The New Nation on January 14 this year.
The ministry sources said that the article was discussed among the top bosses of the Education Ministry and planned to launch counselling in all the educational institutions across the country.
The ministry sources said, it will form a five to six members committee headed by an additional secretary to draft the policy. Teachers, lawyers, doctors and psychologists will be included in the committee.
Joint-Secretary (Secondary and Higher Education Division) of Education Ministry Salman Jahan said, “The ministry has sent letters to the educational institutions seeking their representatives. A committee will be formed in 15 days.”
“It is mandatory to ensure counselling in all schools, colleges and madrasas to eradicate suicidal incidents. The highest court also directed in this regard,” she said.
Meanwhile, a total of 26 students committed suicide in Dhaka University in nine years.
Of them, nine students did it last year and it was two in 2005 This is a single example of the suicidal incident in the country’s educational institutions.
Very recently, a Class IX student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Aritri Adhikari committed suicide on December 3 last year.
According to news reports and hospital sources, there have been about 100 cases of suicide reported all over Bangladesh in 2018.
The sources said, the suicidal incidents among the students are increasing every year.
Bangladesh Police sources said, about 9,665 people committed suicide in 2010 across the country and the number rose to 11,095 in 2017.
Eminent Psychiatrist and Professor of Educational and Counselling Psychology Department of DU, Dr Mehtab Khanam told The New Nation that parents, caregivers and academic staff should look for indications of problems in their children, patients and students.
“We need a talented workforce to render services for building mental health,” she said. “Unexpected deaths can be prevented if brilliant, experienced, passionate and hard-working psychiatrists take care.
“We need such an enthusiastic workforce who will just listen to our children. Their main duty will be not giving suggestions, but to listen, realize the patient’s mental situation from their body language or the way they talk.
“Parents need to be careful about their children. They have to understand their problems and should provide free space.”
She said that children should be encouraged to participate in cultural activities.
