ABOUT US
Our Story
Project Ruhani, an initiative by Enactus Lady Shri Ram College for Women, envisions a society where mental health services are accessible and affordable to all. We wish to bring about a radical transformation in the education system through our school wellness program, in an effort to destigmatize mental health from a young age, and inculcate the concepts of socio-emotional learning in the school curriculum and environment.
THE PROBLEM
Need for a Radical Change
Education is the foundation of any social change. Good education has the power to change millions of lives and consequently, the face of a country. The education system in India, however, is characterized by a lengthy syllabus, rote learning and a stringent evaluation system. The severe academic stress poses to be a serious threat to children’s mental health, academic performance and well-being (Mahaprata A., et. al., 2020), leaving no space for individuality and creative development for children. No attention is given to activities and extracurriculars, which are otherwise correlated with positive cognitive, social and psychosocial outcomes (Carbonarno, W., et. al., 2019). Moreover, owing to the pandemic, there is an increase in behavioral issues, aggression and anxiety in children due to the uncertainty of the situation and their academic performance.
THE SOLUTION
Working Towards a Better Tomorrow
A radical transformation in the way the education system works is now the need of the hour. To fight the negative impacts of this pandemic, we need to make sure our students have the mental health support necessary to cope with the losses and transitions of the past year (Falt, 2020). Social and emotional learning offers a powerful means to support one another – children and adults – during this challenging time. (CASEL, 2020). India must look forward to inculcating SEL in classroom learning. This belief is fostered in national policy, as the preamble of the draft National Education Policy (NEP), shared by the MHRD for public consultation, also states: “Students must develop not only cognitive skills - both ‘foundational skills’ of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cognitive skills such as critical thinking and problem solving skills - but also social and emotional skills, also referred to as ‘soft skills’, including cultural awareness and empathy, perseverance and grit, teamwork and leadership, among others. The process by which children and adults acquire these competencies is also referred to as Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).”