Include Mental Health In Education Curriculum – Psychiatric Association.
The Kenya Psychiatric Association (KPA) recommends incorporating mental health into the curriculum.
The president of the Kenya Psychological Association (KPA), Dr. Boniface Chitayi, said that the topic is important because it helps students deal with stress and improves their resilience and emotional intelligence in hard times.
He also said that all schools should have a counseling psychologist to help students deal with difficult situations like loss, failing exams, relationships, pregnancy, money problems, and traumas.
Dr. Chitayi stated, “The Association recommends that schools have a referral plan for more serious mental problems where affected students can get psychosocial support services.”
In a press release that was sent to newsrooms, the KPA President suggested that school administrators hold regular forums where students can talk about mental health issues, debate them, and compete in writing contests.
The Association advises that the student-to-teacher ratio be 40:1, as suggested by UNESCO, adding that if this recommendation is followed, children will receive maximum attention from their teachers, resulting in enhanced learning and productivity.
Dr. Chitayi stated, “This will prevent stress and burnout among the teaching fraternity due to handling a class that is too large.
A competency-based curriculum gives each child who is growing and learning the chance to be noticed and to have a positive learning experience that includes both the teacher and the parents.
He also suggested that the education sector think about training teachers in mental health to spot children who might have mental, neurological, or learning problems and suggest that they get checked out early.
The Association proposed that physical punishment be prohibited in schools because it increases a person’s susceptibility to mental illness, contributes to child abuse and trauma, and violates children’s rights.
According to the Association, punishment should be rational, proportional to the offense, and intended for correction, not merely to inflict suffering.
Dr. Chitayi stated that time management is essential for kids and asked schools to modify their schedules so that children have a minimum of eight hours of sleep per day.
Concerns have been raised in recent years over instances of indiscipline and aggressive behavior among students and people seeking mental health services in facilities around the nation.
Peer pressure, strict school rules, stress related to performance, lack of parental care, drug use, and different punishments have all been blamed for school cases.
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