Alando Terrelonge, a state minister for the Jamaican Ministry of Education, has announced that he will lead a group of government officials and professional psychologists who will evaluate educational psychologists and social workers in the industry.
This action on the side of the Jamaican ministry comes among a rise in concern about the psychological health of students worldwide.
Some institutions have even decided to introduce canine friends in classrooms to reduce stress during school hours, and battle the psychological effects pressure in school has on young minds.
According to Mr. Terrelonge, there is a rise in mental health issues among students in Jamaica, and the Ministry of Education has to address this problem.
Jamaican school life
Government-Issued research has revealed that students in jamaica are increasingly suffering from mental issues related to their school activities. Depression and anxiety are cited as the most common conditions.
To improve the help students can get from school psychologists, the Ministry of Education has created a thorough plan to ensure that professional help is available in all public schools in the country.
This announcement came during a meeting between Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ in Marlborough. The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry was also present at the meeting, as he was recently appointed Commonwealth Youth Ambassador by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Jamaican government’s decision to pay more attention to the mental health of young adults in the school system is commendable, as this is indeed a global problem. According to recent statistics by the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than eight hundred thousand (800,000) adults commit suicide on a yearly basis. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of these cases involve young adult males, still in their school years.