Greater mental health care should be given to students during online learning: Experts

Illustrative image (Source: tuyengiao.vn)

HCM City (VNA) – Greater attention should be
paid to for pupils and students amid prolonged online
learning due to impacts, according
to experts.

Huynh Thanh Phu, Principal of Nguyen Du high school in Ho
Chi Minh City’s District 10 said that learning online over a long time has
affected both physical and mental health of students.

Along with negative effects on the eyes, spine and
respiratory system, students have suffered from a lack of interaction and bonds with their
classmates and teachers, he added.

Meanwhile, Duong Tri Dung, Vice Director of the city
Department of Education and Training said that the education sector has made it an important task to provide students with and support in the
current period, with various activities launched right at the beginning of the school
year, focusing on training teachers on giving psychological assistance to
students.

Schools have built their own plan to care for students’
mental health, helping those suffering psychological trauma overcome
difficulties, said Dung.

A survey by the Vietnam National University-HCM City on
COVID-19 impacts on students’ mental health, which covers more than 37,000
college and university students, showed that among pressures facing students,
the pressure from is the strongest.

Students tend to worry about learning equipment and become
stressful about safety against COVID-19, as well as tuition fee and family
conflicts, it said. Notably, 48 percent of students engaging in the survey
confessed that they feel low self-esteem and ambiguity about their life purpose
during the pandemic.

Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai, a member of the research
team, said that the pandemic has worsened mental health problems and
pressure among students. The research team recommended that education
facilities should apply measures such as creating mental
health care services, giving financial support to needy students,
organising exchange activities for them and encouraging them to join community
work./.