Ministry of Education Announces "Measures to Improve Student Mental Health Support"
221 Student Suicides Reported Last Year
Recently, student mental health issues, including suicides, have emerged as a major social concern, prompting the government to take action to develop effective countermeasures.
On December 30, the Ministry of Education announced the "Measures to Improve Student Mental Health Support," which include: intensive intervention for high-risk students; creating an environment where counseling is accessible anywhere; expanding early detection and prevention education for students in crisis; strengthening the identification of risk factors and tailored responses for students; and reinforcing the foundation for protecting student mental health.
According to the Ministry of Education, the number of suicides among elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide was 197 in 2021, 194 in 2022, 214 in 2023, and 221 in 2024. This year, as of October, the number had already reached 193.
To intensively manage "high-risk students," the Ministry plans to significantly increase the number of "Emergency Mental Health Support Teams" from the current 56 teams to 100 teams by 2030, ensuring comprehensive support for all 176 local education offices nationwide. In addition, starting next year, the "Student Mind Voucher" program, which previously supported medical and hospital treatment costs, will expand its coverage to include counseling fees at external professional institutions.
Furthermore, to create an "environment where counseling is accessible anywhere," the Ministry aims to secure 100% professional counseling staff at all schools by 2030. To enable early detection of students in crisis through school-based counseling, the Ministry will operate training programs for counseling staff and plans to train 200 school counseling leaders annually by 2027. The Ministry will also establish a telephone counseling network for the 24-hour non-face-to-face text counseling service "Dadeul-eojulgae," operated in cooperation with the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation, and will make the service available to parents as well.
To detect warning signs early, the Ministry will operate a robust system of regular screening tests and will also promote the use of the "Mind Easy (EASY) Test," which can be administered as needed. Detailed implementation plans for expanding screening tests will be developed by 2026 after collecting feedback from the field. The Ministry is also considering introducing the "Mind Easy (EASY) Self-Test," which students can complete on their own.
The Ministry also plans to introduce a nationwide survey to investigate the status of students in crisis, factors undermining mental health, and support infrastructure both inside and outside schools. To accurately identify the causes of student suicides, the Ministry will improve the student suicide death report, which is currently prepared by teachers based on their estimation of the cause, and will also conduct psychological autopsies for students, in which experts analyze causes in depth through statements and records from bereaved families.
Minister of Education Choi Kyojin stated, "The mental health challenges our children are experiencing are no longer just individual issues, but urgent tasks that our society must address together," adding, "Through these improved measures, we will establish a student-centered integrated support system from prevention to recovery, and ensure that not a single child is left isolated due to emotional wounds."
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