Edu Minister urges schools to strengthen mental health support after student suicide

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday wrote to Brother Robert Fernandes, Principal of St Columba’s School, following the tragic suicide of a Class X student.

Expressing deep grief over the incident, Sood said he was writing “not merely as a minister, but as a concerned parent,” emphasising institutions, educators and society share a collective responsibility towards every child.

Sood assured the Delhi Government is ready to work closely with both public and private schools to strengthen mental health frameworks, counselling infrastructure and teacher-training initiatives. He has requested a response from St Columba’s School on its internal review, as well as any support it may require from the government.

Drawing extensively from Abraham Lincoln’s famous letter to his son’s teacher, the Minister reminded schools modern education must balance discipline with compassion. Highlighting Lincoln’s message, “Teach him to listen to all men, but filter all he hears on a screen of truth,” Sood said the philosophy remains a guiding light for educational practices.

In his letter, the minister underlined the need for schools to go beyond procedural compliance and instead create emotionally safe, empathetic and responsive environments. He noted students face unprecedented pressures and require support systems that are proactive rather than reactive. He added emotional and psychological support, early identification of distress, mental health sensitisation of teachers, peer-support structures and a focus on students’ happiness and confidence must become core components of every school’s functioning.

Calling the incident “a heartbreaking wake-up call,” Sood said the child’s memory must inspire systemic improvements across the city’s schools. He added: “No child should ever feel unheard or unseen in our schools. We owe them an environment that nurtures not just their intellect, but their emotional wellbeing.”