The Ministry of Education on Friday said that vocational schools and senior-high high schools can trial allowing students to take mental health days off starting next month.
Since National Sun Yat-sen University first introduced “mental unwellness leave” in 2022, many colleges and universities embraced the policy, and 43 schools are to offer students mental health leave in the new semester starting this month.
The ministry on Monday last week released official guidelines for mental health leave at colleges and universities, stating that the purpose is to help students pay attention to mental health, while schools should initiate care measures, including counseling and referrals.
The guidelines also suggested allowing students to take a half or full day of leave for up to three days per semester.
A petition initiated by the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy to introduce mental health leave in junior and senior-high schools garnered more than 3,000 student signatures in one day.
High-school and vocational high-school students must provide proof of a parent or guardian’s consent to take mental health leave, and those who take the leave are not eligible for perfect attendance, the ministry said.
In the 2022-2023 school year, more than 29,000 mental health days were taken by students at 11 universities. The association on Friday said that its survey showed that up to 90 percent of young people say leave would have a positive effect on their mental health. Several university presidents have praised the policy as supportive to students’ mental well-being.
The changes indicate that policymakers and schools are recognizing the importance of letting young people take time off to care for their mental health, but further measures must follow, especially as the policy is to be tested in high schools.
Parents, teachers and administrators need more guidance on how to provide support to students in need while protecting their privacy and preventing stigmatization, as it is generally harder at high school than it is at university to take time off without an absence being noticed by classmates.
Schools might need to train teachers and staff to identify signs of mental distress and develop strategies to follow up on students who take leave to see if additional support is needed, but not force them to accept counseling or make them feel more stressed from unwanted attention.
Moreover, students might need more help to find resources and support to meet their emotional needs, so effective mental health leave will require the participation of parents and guardians, as leaving a struggling teenager at home alone to play video games or sink into social media is unlikely to be beneficial and might even be risky if they are depressed or have suicidal thoughts.
While taking a mental health day can be a warning signal that a student might need help, many parents also need assistance to tell when they should let their child take a day off, to talk to their child to better understand their emotional needs and to decide whether taking a day off is the best solution and not just an excuse to skip a test, hide from conflict or catch up on overdue assignments.
They might also need guidance on how to help their child spend the mental health day or when to consult a mental health professional if they suspect their child’s condition is chronic or severe.
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