KOCHI: The Directorate of Higher Secondary Education is exploring the possibility of expanding the scope and reach of Souhrida Clubs functioning at higher secondary schools across the State.
The Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) will undertake a study in this regard shortly.
The clubs were set up five years ago for adolescent counselling and health care under the department’s Career Guidance and Adolescent Counselling Cell.
At present, they are functioning at 1,240 higher secondary schools, and the clubs will be launched at another 80 schools soon.
“Souhrida Clubs are the only such facility in the education sector in the State for creating an adolescent-friendly atmosphere at schools and offering a platform to students to open up on their emotional issues,” said C.M. Azeem, State coordinator, Career Guidance and Adolescent Counselling Cell.
The Souhrida Vedi, under which the clubs are constituted at schools, comprises the principal as chairman and a trained teacher coordinator, and class conveners, PTA president, staff secretary, and two teachers nominated by the principal as members.
The clubs have been found to be very effective as there have even been instances where timely intervention by teacher coordinators have averted suicides.
Drop boxes are placed at all 1,240 schools for students to drop their complaints. The boxes are opened on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays by the principals. Complaints warranting intervention by police are forwarded to them, while issues demanding school-level redress are attended to and recorded duly in the intervention register.
