TN to appoint 800 doctors to counsel school students

Chennai, July 29: At least five students, four girls and one boy, have died by suicide in less than two weeks in Tamil Nadu. The sudden spike in student suicides have prompted Chief Minister MK Stalin to launch a dedicated programme among government school students about mental health and help them deal with problems better.

Under the 'Manavar Manasu' scheme, the DMK government in the state has decided to appoint 800 doctors to provide psychological counselling to school students.

According to Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi the project will be soon launched by Chief Minister.

"As many as 800 doctors would be appointed, two each in 413 education blocks across the state, to provide counselling and guidance to students on various aspects such as studies, career and behavioural changes," the Minister said.

The project would help students to improve mental health amid the tensions related to adolescence issues, pressure of studies, peer pressure and other issues related to behavioural changes in the children.

The state government has taken such an initiative after the recent suicides among girl students in TN.

The death of the teen, studying in Kaniyamoor Sakthi matriculation school in Kallakurichi of Salem district, led to widespread violence, with protesters vandalising the school and setting fire to school vehicles. Although school authorities claim she jumped to her death, her family, citing the first post-mortem and her suicide note, accuse the management of foul play.

Later on 25 July, a Class XII boy died by alleged suicide in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district. The police reported that the boy's body was found at home and there was also a suicide note in which he said he was finding math and biology difficult. On the same day, a first-year girl student of B Pharm fell to the ground from at Vikravandi in Villupuram District.

On 6 July, an 18-year-old student in Krishnagiri district died by suicide, allegedly after he found the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) difficult to score marks in.