Empowering Educators: UNESCO and NCERT Boost Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

UNESCO, in collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), conducted the eleventh capacity-building workshop of the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) in New Delhi this week. This significant event is part of a broader strategy to recruit and train Master Trainers to reach 15 million adolescent students across 30,000 CBSE-affiliated schools nationwide.

In June and July 2025, more than 290 school principals and educators from 22 states and 5 union territories, including significant regions such as Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, and West Bengal, participated in these workshops. Anandrao V Patil, IAS, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Education, highlighted the key themes of mental health, gender equality, and inclusive education as crucial to fulfilling the holistic vision laid out in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

According to the press release, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director of NCERT, praised the joint efforts of CBSE, UNESCO, and NCERT for addressing the complexities of adolescent education. He underscored the importance of educators understanding the broader contexts of their students' lives. Tim Curtis, Director of UNESCO South Asia Regional Office, reiterated, "Health and education are intertwined, providing the foundation for equity and opportunity." With support from UNESCO, NCERT has developed comprehensive training materials and resources for this program, including animation videos and a comic book catering to a diverse audience across different languages.

(With inputs from agencies.)