School principals in Alès I district received mental health training to identify and address student crises, including rising suicide attempts among young children.
Training for school principals on mental health
On Wednesday, October 14, 40 school principals from the Alès I district attended a training session focused on mental health. The session aimed to give them the tools needed to recognize mental health challenges in children and respond appropriately.Mental health training highlights crisis management
The training included specific guidance on how to handle suicidal crises, a topic that has become increasingly relevant in recent years. Karine Maligorne, a technical advisor in charge of mental health at the departmental education authority, stressed the importance of equipping principals with these skills.Rise in suicide attempts among young children
Gwenaëlle Bobe, a nurse and technical advisor at the DSDEN, mentioned that there has been a noticeable increase in suicide attempts among children aged 8 to 9 years. This trend was not previously observed, indicating a growing concern for young students’ mental health.Expanding mental health training across the department
Last year, the medical-health-social department provided mental health training to education personnel, including two mental health relay staff members for each middle school and high school in the Gard department. This year, the initiative has broadened to include all school principals in the department, as decided at the departmental level.Training aims to eliminate gaps in mental health support
Christophe Mauny, the Academic Director of National Education Services (Dasen), said that addressing mental health requires consistent attention and that training all principals helps prevent "blind spots" in support. In the Gard this year, Karine Maligorne has recorded several mental health cases, though specific details were not disclosed.
