MUSCAT: All Indian schools in Oman have been asked to closely monitor the children and to strengthen counselling sessions, after a 16-year-old student from Indian School Wadi Kabir (ISWK) allegedly committed suicide on Saturday due to poor marks.

Aashrita Blessy Gayans, a class 10 student from ISWK jumped from the balcony of her home to end her life after scoring poor marks in one of her class examination.

“We have asked all the schools to closely monitor students and have asked our counsellors to give them the much-needed attention,” said a senior official at the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman.

24/7 counselling service
It is worth noting that, to ensure a stress-free academic environment, the had launched a round-the-clock tele-counselling service for all students and teachers of Indian schools across the Sultanate in 2018.

The hotline counselling service, developed in response to the rising emotional and psychological challenges prevalent in society, can be availed by parents of students as well.

“Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression need to be addressed without stigma in schools and colleges, and parents should be encouraged to inculcate and foster feelings of sensitivity toward their children,” said a mental health expert based in Muscat.