KUALA LUMPUR: The growing burden of mental health issues and burnout among teachers has underscored the need for professional support in schools, says the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development.
“Managing children’s mental health requires professional services and systematic management. We cannot rely solely on teachers because this is not their primary expertise, and they are already overwhelmed with their regular duties,” said committee chair Yeo Bee Yin.
Citing studies from the Universiti Malaya Centre for Family Development (UMCFD), she highlighted alarming levels of burnout among educators.
A survey of 369 primary school teachers in Melaka found that more than 83% reported experiencing burnout. Among 294 teachers in Perak, 22% showed symptoms of depression, 44% experienced anxiety and 17% reported stress.
In a study involving 335 secondary school teachers in Terengganu, 25% experienced very high levels of depression, 82% reported anxiety and 2% stress.
Yeo said the committee’s recommendations follow a review of issues raised during town hall sessions and committee meetings, as well as findings from a major study involving 33,523 secondary school students.
The study found that 79.1% of respondents had been involved in bullying, either as perpetrators (14.4%), victims (16.3%) or both (48.4%), suggesting that victims may become perpetrators without proper intervention.
“Overall, the committee views bullying as a complex issue closely linked to children’s emotional and social development.
“For cases that require professional services, and where schools lack capacity, the Education Ministry can refer both bullies and victims to the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH) under the Health Ministry for mandatory psychosocial screening and follow-up interventions,” Yeo said at a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday (Dec 3).
The committee also recommended strengthening NCEMH by increasing the number of medical specialists and psychologists, as well as providing more funding to manage the rising number of mental health cases among children.
The report states these measures are critical to safeguarding pupils’ well-being and ensuring that schools are equipped to handle the increasingly complex challenges of bullying and mental health.
