Gwangju Office of Education Holds School Doctor Appointment Ceremony

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the morning of the 12th that it held a School Doctor appointment ceremony in the Superintendent's office.

At this event, appointment certificates were delivered to seven specialists, including psychiatrists, who will work with students, parents, or staff in the Gwangju area needing psychiatric assistance until next year.

School Doctors are expected to help students who fall into the blind spots of mental health welfare?those for whom general counseling is insufficient but who feel burdened by visiting psychiatric hospitals.

Students and parents needing counseling can make a reservation at the Student Mind Care Center of the Metropolitan Office of Education and visit the center for consultation.

Elementary, middle, and high schools in the district wishing for School Doctors to visit directly can apply through an official document to the Metropolitan Office of Education after telephone consultation.

If a diagnosis after counseling indicates the need for professional hospital treatment but economic difficulties make treatment difficult, the Student Mind Care Center also supports treatment costs.

If a student has emotional wounds or difficulties in daily life due to them, they should not hesitate to ask for help.

The Gwangju Student Mind Care Center, which establishes a student suicide prevention plan every year, oversees the emotional and behavioral characteristic tests conducted annually on 50,000 to 60,000 students in Gwangju.

In addition, along with various treatment cost support tasks, it runs recognized alternative education for mental health attendance for eight months a year, with 120 hours of courses per month.

The alternative education consists of classes that allow sufficient healing over a month, including art, music, play counseling, exercise therapy, social adaptation skills, and cognitive therapy, expected to comfort and embrace students' exhausted minds.

Kim Jeong-ae, officer of the Student Mind Care Center at the Metropolitan Office of Education, said, “We want to create a Gwangju where not a single student commits suicide, and out-of-school youth are naturally our children, so they can receive the same support as students. Not only our center but also WeClass, WeCenter, Youth Counseling Welfare Center, City Mental Health Welfare Center, Ministry of Education text counseling, and shelters provide many places to ask for help, so when feeling lonely and struggling, please never think you are alone and actively reach out.”