Bhubaneswar: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, schools and hostels are closed for which students are mostly confined to their homes. In response to the prevailing extraordinary situation and uncertainty about re-starting education activities, ST and SC Development Department rolled out Telephonic Counselling Programme for students.
There was a felt need to constantly monitor the behavioural changes amongst the 3.6 lakh boarder ST/SC students residing in hostels attached to SSD schools who are presently at home. Out of the total number of boarders housed in hostels attached to SSD schools approx 2.2 lakh are girl. There was also a felt need to counsel them on a regular basis.
The Department has introduced Telephonic Counselling for all boarders in order to provide psycho-emotional support to those in need and also to monitor their behavioural changes. With the technical support of SCSTRTI and UNFPA trainings for Matrons and Nodal Teachers have been conducted to orient them to deal with sexual and reproductive health and related issues and counselling techniques. They are constantly in touch with the ST/SC students with the objective to keep them connected and make them feel motivated in a meaningful way during difficult times of COVID-19 and ensure they come back to schools/ hostels when conditions become favourable.
A detailed SOP along with monitoring mechanism (at the school/block/district and state level) has been developed and roles and responsibilities assigned to District Welfare Officers/Welfare Extension Officers/ Head Masters and Head Mistresses to monitor and ensure smooth implementation of the programme.
