I believe that offering counselling is mainly a specialist role, not the full responsibility of a teacher. Teachers can provide basic emotional support, listen to students, and create a safe and supportive classroom environment. However, professional counselling requires specific training and skills that teachers may not have.

There are some risks if teachers try to provide counselling without proper training. For example, they might misunderstand a student’s situation, give inappropriate advice, or feel overwhelmed themselves. It could also affect the teacher-student relationship if boundaries are not clear.

In my school, we do not have a formal counselling service yet. Teachers try to support students as much as possible, but we are limited. I think our school would benefit from trained counsellors or at least basic training for teachers on how to respond to students’ emotional needs. Workshops on mental health awareness and referral systems would also be very helpful so teachers know when and how to seek additional support for learners.