Andhra Pradesh appoints school counsellors to support student mental health

Andhra Pradesh has go the archetypal State successful the state to name dedicated counsellors astatine schoolhouse level to enactment students’ intelligence health, said B. Srinivasa Rao, Director, Samagra Shiksha State Project, connected Monday (March 23, 2026).

Speaking astatine the inaugural league of a four-day grooming programme for newly-appointed intelligence wellness and vocation counsellors nether Samagra Shiksha, Mr. Rao said that the caller appointments were made to guarantee availability of astatine slightest 1 counsellor successful each mandal.

He elaborated connected their roles and responsibilities, students’ intelligence wellness concerns, and work regulations. He highlighted that adolescents (teenagers) often look hormonal changes and affectional challenges, which whitethorn pb them astray. “Counsellors play a important relation successful identifying specified issues astatine an aboriginal signifier and volition usher students towards affirmative behaviour done due counselling,” helium said.

Mr. Rao said that counsellors person a captious work successful preventing issues specified arsenic substance maltreatment and pupil suicides arising from insignificant triggers. He asked counsellors to see themselves arsenic “mental wellness doctors” and to supply continuous enactment to students astatine the grassroots level. He besides encouraged them to enactment with dedication, support beardown coordination with headmasters and teachers and physique a chiseled individuality done their service.

He announced that psychometric tests volition beryllium conducted successful June for students of Classes 8 and 9 to measure their intelligence abilities and expressed anticipation that counsellors would lend wholeheartedly successful shaping students into liable citizens.

The programme was attended by Samagra Shiksha Assistant State Project Director M.R. Prasanna Kumar, trainers including Dr. Apoorva Indus Hospital, Dr. Teja Veni from EASE Organisation, Surya Prasad from Padala Charitable Trust, Dheeman from EdCIL, Dr. Aarthi Gupta from AIIMS, Mangalagiri, G. Priyanka from UNICEF), State Vocational Coordinator C. Sreelatha and others.