OMG! The Parliament talked about counselling for young kids as a part of school curriculums. Although it was long due, it still feels like a positive change the world needed. 

Wait…is the world healing? 

Btw, leading this woke-giri in the Parliament is our very own boss lady, Sudha Murthy. 

Typical discussions on education focus on grades/marks/exams/careers rather than addressing one critical, pressing issue, which is….DRUMROLLLL PLSSSS….children’s mental safety in school. 

In her recent speech in Rajya Sabha (upper house), in relation to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the nominated MP stated the need for schools across India to employ professionally trained psychologists as school counsellors so that children who have experienced sexual abuse, bullying or emotional trauma have access to the necessary support and services.

Cry aa gaya yaar 🙂 

Finally, someone thought about us! 

Sudha Murthy’s comments, harshly critical of the lack of access for sexually abused children to trained professionals, have generated widespread online discussion reflecting general agreement that there is no longer any argument that schools need to provide counselling services for children.

Why There Needs To Be A Counsellor In Every School

At the parliamentary debate on POCSO, Sudha Murthy made it clear that children who have suffered from sexual abuse require emotional and psychological support, which is currently not being provided by many schools.

The one thing that she believes is required by survivors of sexual abuse is clear and unambiguous reassurance from someone that “it was not your fault”.

Such reassurance could come from the child’s mother or father, teacher or professional school psychologist, but there needs to be a professional counselling system in place within every school, as many children will find it difficult to talk about their experience of trauma and may need reassurance from a third party, rather than discussing it with their parents or teachers.

Schools must maintain a good ratio of counsellors to students, Sudha Murthy stated. In her opinion, one counsellor supporting 2,000 students is inadequate. 

Yes, what kinda math is this, schoolwaalon? 

She indicated that meaningful access, in addition to having enough staff, is the key to providing help to at-risk youth.

Additionally, she suggested implementing punitive measures if schools are not providing assistance to physically and emotionally abused children, including cancelling their school registrations.

Understanding The Legal Framework: The POCSO Framework

Sudha Murthy spoke out about the POCSO framework while participating in a discussion on amending the current POCSO framework, which stems from the law on sexual offences committed against children in India.

The law already includes strict penalties for sexual offences against children. In extreme cases, sexual offences against children could carry the death penalty, a provision enacted through amendments to POCSO in 2019.

To expedite the timeframe for victims to receive justice through the POCSO framework, the Indian government has also established:

   • 1,023 fast track courts

   • 412 dedicated POCSO courts

The purpose of establishing these courts is to provide additional means of trial expedience and holding perpetrators of child sexual abuse accountable.

However, as Sudha Murthy pointed out, simply providing punishment through the law is not sufficient to address the psychological harm children have suffered due to being physically and emotionally abused. 

SO ON POINT. The psychological scars such trauma leaves are immeasurable and should not be taken lightly! 

There must be safe environments created by schools that allow children to disclose any abuse they have suffered and ask for assistance.

Sudha Murthy stated that the schools’ infrastructure for mental health is severely lacking regardless of the emphasis within policies for mental health.

The National Educational Policy 2020 emphasizes the importance of emotional well-being yet many educational institutions do not have a mental health professional capable of assisting them in their emotional needs.

Ye bhed bhav kyu yaar? 

According to the MP, the Manodarpan Helpline has received over 3,200,000 calls from students indicating they are in need of psychological assistance. However, helplines cannot take the place of the on-ground services they need.

“Helplines are only support tools,” she said. “They cannot substitute real, in-person safety and care in schools.”

On point, queen! 

Sudha Murthy also mentioned the importance of including awareness of POCSO in the teacher training programs, particularly in the B.Ed. program. 

Beyond sexual abuse, she commented on the issues of bullying and cyberbullying in schools.

According to the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 report published by NCERT, there are serious issues facing Indian students relative to bullying:

• 32% of students report being mocked or teased

• 24% of students report being shoved or physically hit

• 22% of students report being threatened by fellow peers

In addition, only 45% of students report that they would feel comfortable discussing their feelings with another person if they are upset.

Sudha Murthy contends that these statistics support the need for our educational systems to develop formalized structures of emotional support for our students.

At present, there is no national law in place that requires schools to employ school counsellors. Rather, only non-binding guidelines exist from both the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Ministry of Education. This leads to inconsistent levels of implementation from state to state.

Murthy believes it is essential for our government to create a national framework that:

1. Provides training for teachers and school staff regarding emotional sensitivity;

2. Ensures that school counsellors and related services are provided in our school systems;

3. Develops explicit reporting procedures for incidents of bullying and abuse.

Ek hi dil mai Miss Murthy, kitni baar jeetoge? 

The Social Media Response: “Counsellors Are Not A Luxury”

Murty’s statements sparked considerable online discussion, particularly on Instagram, with many commenters agreeing that all schools should have at least one counsellor available to serve their student population.

One user commented:

“A child’s trauma shouldn’t be their secret. Sudha Murty is right — a counsellor in school isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline.”

Another user pointed out that mental health offerings remain under-staffed in our schools:

“Schools can hire multiple teachers for one subject, but only one counsellor for hundreds of students? Mental health deserves classroom-level support, not emergency damage control.”

Some comments brought up the idea that a safe space is beneficial for all members of the school community (not just those who have experienced abuse). Some comments even said that parents could benefit from safe places. 

One of those comments said, “A safe space will help everyone develop as an individual.”

Other commenters focused on the importance of having professional (i.e., licensed) counselors providing counseling and not teachers acting as counselors.

“Do not consider counselors as part of a teacher’s job description; hire qualified, well-trained counselors to provide these essential services to our children.”

Some other commenters raised practical concerns about funding and implementing a safe space for students.

“Please don’t make teachers do counselling. Hire proper trained counsellors.”