Need for counselling centres at educational institutions

A total of five Jagannath University (JnU) students died by suicide in 2021. The university, however, acted promptly and launched a counselling centre for the students. Two teachers of the university started counselling the students at the medical centre of the university in the beginning of this year. And a number of students have already taken service from this counselling centre. It has been observed that the tendency of committing suicide by JnU students has decreased to a great extent since the launch of the counselling centre. More than 400 students have reportedly taken service from this centre in the past eight months. In Bangladesh, people generally are hesitant to take counselling. But it is a good sign that the JnU students are taking it enthusiastically.

We have come to know that the main reasons behind suicide attempts include family dispute, love affair-related problems, fears of attending exams and financial constraints, among others. We believe there should be counselling service in all educational institutions of the country - from the primary to the tertiary level. It does not cost much, but gives so much.

Students have been suffering from a number of mental issues since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Anxiety, frustration and mental disorder are some of the common issues that the students are still suffering from. It is crucial for us to address their mental health. They can be kept busy in sports, cultural activities and so on. If teachers become friendly with them, the former can be good counsellors as well. If all teachers of an institution are given training on how to provide counselling, it can help the students suffering from psychological problem.

MA Islam,

Dhanmondi, Dhaka