Countermeasures for Student Suicide Crisis... Professional Counseling Teachers to Be Assigned to All Seoul Schools

As student depression and suicide issues become increasingly serious, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has announced countermeasures. On September 10, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day, the Office held a press conference at its headquarters and unveiled the "Comprehensive Plan to Promote Mental Health for Seoul Students."

On this day, Superintendent Jeong Geunsik stated, "In accordance with the Student Customized Integrated Support Act, which will take effect on March 1 next year, the Office of Education will work organically with schools, educational offices, and local communities to support students' mental health." The Student Customized Integrated Support Act is a system designed to identify difficulties faced by students both inside and outside of school at an early stage, and to provide tailored support according to each student's situation through cooperation among schools, educational offices, and local governments.

To this end, the Office of Education will assign professional counseling teachers to every school in Seoul and will expand the number of positions by at least 50 each year for the next five years. In addition, a Student Customized Integrated Support Team will be operated every month to systematically identify and manage students in need of assistance. Cases that are difficult for schools to handle will be referred to a network of mental health specialists for consultation. Counseling and healing will be supported through 26 Wee Centers, and the program for mental health professionals to visit schools will be expanded, with each of the 11 district offices of education being matched 1:1 with a designated hospital for support.

Starting next year, all students from first grade in elementary school to third grade in high school will receive at least 15 sessions of "social-emotional education." Additionally, a standard will be established to enable intervention within 48 hours if warning signs are detected, and the Seoul Student Integrated Call Center will operate 24 hours a day, year-round.

Superintendent Jeong stated, "We will use the second half of this year as a preparation period to supplement the outcomes of this comprehensive plan and develop it into a nationwide model."