A petition to introduce mental health leave in high schools and junior-high schools received more than 3,000 signatures in one day, the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy said yesterday.
Association leader Chang Yu-meng (張育萌) said that the group hoped that having mental health days would help students become more aware of their emotional state.
The association also urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare to provide free counseling for students as young as 12, as students unburden themselves due to society’s view on mental health.
Photo: CNA
Citing Ministry of Education statistics, Chang said that between 2016 and 2020, the number of students from elementary school to college attempting suicide had grown about eightfold from 1,089 to 8,730.
Chang also cited an association survey in July last year in which 87 percent of respondents supported having mental health leave, while 90 percent said that such measures would benefit students’ mental health.
Student stress ranges from worrying about not getting into a good school to not being able to find an ideal job, Chang said, adding that many respondents were afraid of failure and that they were not competitive.
Responding to the petition, the Ministry of Education said that it had inquired with local governments about the issue in May last year.
The ministry on Monday last week issued official guidelines for schools offering leave for students based on mental health, with high schools and vocational high schools expected to begin trialing the measure next month.
The measures are to officially start at the beginning of the next academic year in August, it said.
National Taiwan University and 43 other universities have already implemented mental health days that students can take up to five times per semester.
The policies were due to student requests, as the number self-harming or attempting suicide from stress has been mounting over the years, the education ministry said.
The physical and mental health leave days should only be available for three days per semester, and students can opt to take a half-day or an entire day, the guidelines state.
Taking such leave would not require any proof of discomfort or illness, but if students opt to take a day off during examinations, they should observe relevant regulations, such as those regarding remedial exams, they say.
Student representatives should also be included in talks when drafting regulations, and faculty and staff should encourage students to seek assistance, while there should not be actions that discriminate against those who take such leave, the guidelines state.
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