Spread the news
Chandigarh, August 11
The Punjab government has launched a major teacher training initiative aimed at helping teachers to identify the early signs of drug abuse and mental health concerns among school students.
As part of the state government’s anti-drug campaign, more than 21,850 teachers are being trained through a week-long programme designed to strengthen awareness, early intervention and student support.
The expanded programme will cover Fazilka, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot, Mohali, Ropar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana and Patiala.
For many teachers, the training is about recognising that a sudden change in a student’s behaviour may be more than a disciplinary issue. As concerns over anxiety, stress and substance use among adolescents grow, the government says schools can play an important role in identifying problems early and ensuring students receive help and support.
The programme began in Fazilka and Tarn Taran, where more than 800 teachers participated in awareness and capacity-building workshops. The initiative seeks to equip teachers with the skills needed to recognise warning signs and ensure timely support for students facing substance abuse or mental health challenges.
Sharing details, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh, speaking about the initiative on Tuesday, said teachers were often among the first to notice when a child was facing difficulties.“Every child who slips into the darkness of drugs is a child we could have reached earlier.Teachers notice the silences, the absences and the changes that others may not see” he added.
“The training focuses on adolescent mental health, emotional wellbeing and the risks associated with drug abuse. Teachers are also being taught how to respond with support and compassion rather than treating signs of distress simply as indiscipline.Launched under the Punjab government’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign, the initiative is aimed at helping teachers recognise changes in students’ behaviour that may indicate emotional distress, mental health difficulties or vulnerability to substance use,” he said.
He further said that the aim is to help teachers connect vulnerable students with appropriate support before their problems become more serious.
The programme is being implemented across 12 districts by the Directorate of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), in coordination with the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development, he added.
He further said that the Data Intelligence and Technical Support Unit (DITSU), which is leading the state’s wider response to substance use, will provide training materials, implementation support and quality monitoring. District-level nodal officers have also been appointed to ensure senior secondary and high school teachers can attend the sessions.More than 500 batches of teachers are expected to take part in the one-day sessions across the 12 districts in phases from August 2026. Experts will deliver the sessions with a focus on the psychological and social factors linked to substance use, he added.
The programme will not end when teachers leave the classroom. Participants will take a pledge to act as a “sentry” between their students and drugs and carry out activities with pupils in the weeks after their training. The government plans to measure the programme’s impact through teacher feedback and a structured monitoring system, he further said.
The North News
