New Delhi, July 26
UNESCO, in partnership with CBSE and NCERT, conducted the eleventh capacity-building workshop under the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) in New Delhi this week, according to the official statement.
This workshop forms a key part of the national strategy to expand the cadre of Master Trainers who will implement the programme across 30,000 CBSE-affiliated schools, with the goal of reaching 15 million adolescent learners nationwide.
In June and July 2025, over 290 school principals, leaders, and educators from 22 states and 5 union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, participated in the workshop.
According to the release, Anandrao V Patil, IAS, Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Ministry of Education, emphasised the importance of mental health, gender equality, and inclusive education in achieving the holistic vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. "You are changemakers. Never forget that," he said, reinforcing the role of education in shaping responsible and empathetic individuals.
According to the release, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director of NCERT, commended the collaborative efforts of CBSE, UNESCO, and NCERT in organising the workshop. Reflecting on the importance of understanding adolescents more deeply, Prof Dinesh Prasad Saklani emphasised that when underlying issues in a student's family go unnoticed, teachers may respond differently without realising the context. He noted that this is why such training is critical, as it helps educators recognise challenges and work towards achievable goals.
"Health and education are not separate goals; they are interlinked foundations for equity, dignity, and opportunity. Every wellness session, every teacher trained, every child heard, it's a step toward systems that put learners at the centre," said Tim Curtis, Director of UNESCO South Asia Regional Office.
Under the leadership of NCERT and with support from UNESCO, a 24-hour curriculum, training modules, and facilitator guides were developed to support implementation. In addition, UNESCO and NCERT have co-developed animation videos and a comic book based on the 11 themes of the School Health and Wellness Programme, including emotional well-being and mental health, gender equality, reproductive health, and responsible internet use. These resources, available in English, Hindi, and nine Indian languages.
Launched in February 2020 under the Government of India's Ayushman Bharat initiative, the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) adopts a holistic approach to student well-being through education that focuses on prevention and promotion. Since August 2022, 970 Master Trainers have been trained through eleven intensive five-day workshops held at NCERT.
These trainers are now leading implementation in their schools and supporting the 1training of others through CBSE's Centres of Excellence. To date, over 40,000 teachers have been trained via 754 Capacity Building Programmes, as per the release.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative but implementation will be key. Many government schools in rural UP don't even have proper toilets, how will they focus on mental health? Hope the program reaches all schools equally.
The comic book and animation videos in regional languages is a brilliant idea! Children respond so well to visual learning. Hope they cover cyber safety thoroughly - so important in today's digital age.
As a teacher from Maharashtra, I attended the workshop and it was truly eye-opening. We learned practical techniques to identify students facing difficulties at home. The gender equality module was especially impactful.
Wonderful to see India prioritizing student wellness! The 24-hour curriculum development shows serious commitment. In Canada we've seen how such programs reduce bullying and improve academic performance. Wishing this initiative great success!
While I appreciate the effort, I hope they don't make this another box-ticking exercise. Our education system needs less paperwork and more practical solutions. The real test will be whether teachers actually apply these learnings in overcrowded classrooms.
The reproductive health component is much needed but might face resistance in conservative areas. Hope they've planned proper community engagement to get parents on board. Change begins at home after all
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