Amid a spike in the number of students who died by suicide this year, the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, 3 October, issued draft guidelines for schools to prevent them.

The draft guidelines are called UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Manage, Empathise, Empower, Develop).

These guidelines which were drafted on the principle that “every child matters,” suggest the following:

• Setting up a School Wellness Team in all institutes

• Setting up ways to identify students who might be at risk of self-harm or those who might be showing warning signs

• Acting as first responders to support students who might need help

• Schools should “enhance” sensitivity and understanding towards students

• Stigma around suicidal tendencies and behaviour should be reduced

• Schools and parents should partner to prevent self-harm in students

• Not comparing students or pitting them against each other