The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) recently held a workshop titled “Parenting for Students’ Well-being” at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. The purpose of this workshop was to help around 150 school principals from CBSE schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The workshop aimed to give these principals useful advice and strategies to support the well-being of students, focusing on the important role that both schools and parents play in fostering a positive environment for students.
The workshop focused on equipping the school leaders with approaches to enhance students’ emotional and psychological health, alongside acknowledging the important roles both schools and parents have in supporting student well-being.
The event began with a ceremonial lamp-lighting, which was followed by a performance from the school choir. In his opening speech, Himanshu Gupta, Secretary of CBSE, highlighted the significance of teamwork between schools and families in meeting the emotional needs of students. Gupta remarked, “Working together is crucial to addressing the emotional and psychological needs of students in today’s fast-paced world.”
One of the primary goals of the workshop was to provide principals with practical knowledge they could implement in their schools. By engaging with expert facilitators, participants gained insights into the challenges faced by students in modern educational and social settings. Rahul Singh, Chairperson of CBSE, elaborated on the evolving nature of parenting during his keynote address, stressing that schools should guide parents in adapting to these changes. He pointed out that parenting evolves with time and is enriched by the wisdom passed down through generations. Singh highlighted the significance of instilling values that support children’s happiness and emotional well-being.
The workshop featured expert-led sessions designed to provide participants with strategies for offering emotional and psychological support to students. Rohit Kumar, a Personal Growth Facilitator, delivered a session on understanding the mental and emotional needs of students. He discussed techniques to help school leaders identify signs of stress and anxiety in students and offered suggestions on how mindfulness and self-awareness can be integrated into the school curriculum.
Sonia Pillai, an Executive Coach and Trainer in Interpersonal Skills, offered advice on promoting open communication between parents and their children. She shared strategies for building trust and emotional safety, while also offering tips on how schools can support parents in maintaining this dialogue, creating a bridge between home and school. Anuradha Joshi, Principal of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, highlighted the importance of providing consistent emotional support for students and shared her school’s initiatives focused on mental health awareness. She stressed the need for a proactive approach in addressing student issues before they escalate.
The CBSE workshop offered principals several key takeaways, including a deeper understanding of the emotional challenges faced by students, which could inform the creation of tailored programs to help students navigate academic pressures and personal issues. Participants also gained resources to share with parents, fostering collaboration between home and school environments to support students’ emotional development. The sessions also provided valuable insights for designing mental health initiatives, such as counseling services, peer support groups, and stress management workshops.
The event ended with a Question & Answer session, where principals could talk about specific challenges at their schools and share ideas with experts and each other. This part highlighted the importance of working together as a community to ensure students’ well-being, showing how schools and families can collaborate to support students’ emotional health.
In summary, the workshop conducted by CBSE is expected to have a lasting positive impact by giving principals the tools they need to improve mental health support in their schools, ultimately helping students in the Delhi/NCR region.
