150 counsellors, psychologists monitoring students' mental health at public universities - MOHE

Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad said the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) viewed seriously the mental health of students who have to cope with the stress associated with online learning after the movement control order was implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"All students (who are feeling under stress) are encouraged to contact the counsellors or psychologists using the numbers provided at their respective universities," he said in reply to Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim (BN-Batang Lupar) at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.

Rohani had wanted to know the ministry's measures to monitor students' mental health and reduce their stress due to coursework, tight lecture time and strict assessment method during the pandemic.

Ahmad Masrizal said 160 online stress management programmes and activities had been organised by public universities last year, along with two programmes organised by MOHE, with five more programmes lined up for this year.

MOHE has also organised similar programmes at polytechnics and community colleges nationwide and has planned 10 psychological programmes at the national level and 118 programmes at the institution level for this year, he added.