Kuala lumpur: A growing number of negative incidents involving school students in recent years has raised serious public concern. These cases ranged from students falling from school buildings to attacks involving sharp weapons and bullying. A case of sudden death in a school toilet and other tragic incidents have also been reported in the country. According to BERNAMA News Agency, many of these cases have been linked to mental health issues, based on statements from the relevant authorities. These developments have prompted questions about whether the existing cadre of school guidance and counselling teachers has sufficient capacity to address the increasingly complex psychological and emotional challenges faced by students, or whether more qualified mental health professionals are needed to provide specialised intervention. SPECIALISED EXPERTISE NEEDED Counselling expert Dr. Zuhda Husain of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) states that Malaysia can no longer address today's student issues using the sa me approaches that were effective two or three decades ago. She notes that 10 to 15 years ago, most of the issues affecting students were disciplinary in nature. Today, however, students are struggling with psychological challenges, including severe depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and trauma from cyberbullying. A senior lecturer in the Counselling Programme at UMT's Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development, Zuhda emphasizes the need for licensed counsellors or psychologists in schools, as outlined under the Counsellors Act 1998. Although school guidance and counselling teachers are trained in psychology, their role remains limited, particularly in conducting risk assessments. DUAL ROLE Zuhda points out that many school guidance and counselling teachers are currently required to teach academic subjects in addition to their counselling responsibilities, which may hinder their ability to identify students experiencing mental health problems at an early stage. Early detection is crucial, especially for students who are 'silent sufferers' and may conceal their emotional distress. Zuhda believes that guidance and counselling teachers should focus entirely on safeguarding students' mental well-being, while teaching responsibilities should be assigned to other educators. Full-time professional counsellors in schools would enable student mental health support to be delivered in a structured manner, ensuring continuous and in-depth interventions. SUPPORT SYSTEM, REFORM While acknowledging that placing licensed counsellors in every school may not be immediately feasible, Zuhda suggests restructuring the existing support system to reflect today's mental health needs. This includes requiring guidance and counselling teachers to attain 'Registered Counsellor' status and attend continuous skill-building courses. Zuhda also proposed introducing e-counselling services and anonymous reporting platforms in schools, and rebranding the counselling room to be viewed as a student well-being hub. She also re commended Psychological First Aid (PFA) training for all teachers. Echoing similar views, organisational psychology consultant Dr. Alizi Alias said Malaysia needs to strengthen its psychological support system in schools. He suggests developing a school psychological support ecosystem involving various professionals with their own competencies. DEPLOYING SPECIALISTS Alizi recommends placing educational psychologists at district education offices to support schools through assessments, consultations, training, and crisis management. For complex cases, clinical psychologists could serve as specialist referral experts. He also emphasizes the need for schools to foster a culture of psychological well-being and embrace positive psychology and education approaches to cultivate resilience and emotional management skills among students. In conclusion, while the deployment of more professionals is important, the ultimate goal is to build schools that genuinely promote and support the psychological well-being of e very member of the school community.