CISCE to hold mental health dialogues for 16 lakh students
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will conduct a three-tier student mental health and well-being initiative involving nearly 16 lakh students of Classes VI to XII, 32,000 teachers, and more than 3,300 affiliated schools.
The school-level discussions, to be held from October 4 to 31, will provide students with a structured forum to discuss academic stress, emotional well-being, digital life, relationships, substance abuse, resilience, and help-seeking behaviour.
Schools will hold weekly 40–45-minute sessions, with teachers encouraged to help students identify sources of stress, recognise how they respond to pressure, and discuss ways of seeking support. The exercise is intended to collate students’ experiences and concerns and help schools strengthen listening, peer support, and access to appropriate assistance.
The initiative will then move to virtual regional conclaves across 18 regions from November 4 to 14. Selected students and teacher mentors will examine the issues emerging from the school-level discussions and identify representatives for the national conclave.
The final conclave will be held at the CISCE Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad from November 20 to 22. It will bring together 72 students representing the 18 regions, 18 teacher mentors, mental health and policy experts, and CISCE representatives.
A key outcome will be a CISCE Student Mental Health Charter, outlining principles, rights, responsibilities, and recommendations for creating supportive and emotionally safe schools. The council also plans to work towards a Student Well-being Index, a repository of good practices, and a white paper on emerging mental health concerns among adolescents.
“Student well-being cannot be addressed through isolated interventions or occasional conversations. We need to create a culture in which students are heard,” said the Principal of Convent School in Visakhapatnam.
He said the initiative would seek to translate students’ experiences into practical recommendations and stronger school practices.
The programme coincides with World Mental Health Day on October 10. CISCE has indicated that the conclave could subsequently be institutionalised as a biennial initiative.