Statistics on Peer Support Student Leaders Identified and Trained in Schools

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Ang Mo Kio GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) on average, how many peer support student leaders have been identified and trained in each school; (b) whether these peer support leaders receive training to support their peers in areas of mental health; and (c) how are such trainings standardised across schools to ensure consistency.

Response

1. Schools train about five per cent of their students as Peer Support Leaders (PSLs). School staff use training resources from MOE to teach PSLs strategies such as active listening, responding with empathy, positive coping and encouraging help-seeking in order to provide basic mental health peer support. In addition, school staff check in regularly with PSLs to share good practices and help address concerns that they may raise. There may be some differences in the training provided across schools, depending on the profile and needs of the students.