National Taiwan University (NTU) and six other schools implemented mental health leave for students in the new semester, increasing the number to 18 schools, 12 percent of universities in the nation, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said.
Students applying for leave do not have to attend classes, and they can have time to deal with their personal issues arising from emotional problems or stress, said MOE Department of Student Affairs and Special Education Director Wu Lin-hui (吳林輝) on Saturday, adding that mental support service for the student must be approved by their universities’ counselors.
Kaohsiung-based National Sun Yat-sen University last year initiated a mental health leave program and became the first university to do so, university president Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The university does not have a limit on how many times an individual can take such leave, but if a student applies more than three times in one semester, a school counselor would step in, Cheng said, adding that there were 662 applications made in the last school year, or 3.83 percent of its students.
Last year, 11 universities initiated such programs, and 29,582 students took mental health leave in the fall and spring semesters, Wu said.
NTU approved the implementation of a mental health leave program this month, along with four other state universities including National Taipei University, National Central University, National Chiayi University and National Pingtung University. Two private universities, Feng Chia University and Chinese Culture University also launched such programs.
NTU students can apply to take mental health leave not more than three times per semester, NTU officials said.
National Central University students can take up to five days of mental health leave per semester, but cannot use such leave to skip an exam.
Taipei Medical University also limits mental health leave with five days per semester, with a student’s adviser or professor being required to take active steps to help the student after three days of mental health leave.
Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy director Alvin Chang (張育萌) said the program provides good support for students, and the limits can prevent the practice from being abused.
A student at NTU College of Law and Politics said that he was feeling down when last semester started, so he applied for mental health leave and it helped him to feel better, and he eventually returned to his classes.
Another student, surnamed Wu (吳), at National Taiwan Normal University said that he got insomnia a while ago and the leave helped him sort out his sleeping problem.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
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