Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer stated that in order to reduce the effects of negative emotions after the earthquake and strengthen their psychological resilience, psychosocial support services were provided to a total of 782 million 739 thousand 443 people, 920 thousand 1 students and 226 thousand 659 parents, by counselors/psychological counselors in ten provinces in the disaster area. .
The psychosocial support activities carried out by the Ministry of National Education to ensure the rapid adaptation of students and parents to social life from the first day of the earthquake continue.
In his assessment on the subject, Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer said, “Right after the earthquake, psychosocial support services were provided to a total of 782 million 739 thousand 443 people, 920 thousand 1 students and 226 thousand 659 parents, by our counselors/psychological counselors in ten provinces in the disaster area. Our Ministry provided students, teachers and parents with psychological first aid in order to meet the basic physical or psychological needs of the people affected by the earthquake, to reduce possible post-traumatic stress symptoms as much as possible, and to increase a more adaptive functionality and coping in the short and long term.” shared his knowledge.
1 million 25 thousand students and parents were interviewed
Özer continued as follows: “In addition, approximately 1 million 25 thousand interviews were made with students and parents who were placed in institutions and organizations within the body of our Ministry, who went to other provinces from the earthquake zone, and provided psychological first aid services.”
Minister Özer stated that psychosocial support services continued in the provinces of Malatya, Kahramanmaraş, Hatay and Adıyaman, where education began on March 27 and that were most affected by the earthquake, and said, “Guidance and Psychological Counseling Services Units have been established in 44 points affiliated to guidance and research centers in these provinces. With the opening of these units, guidance and psychological counseling services were provided to 9 thousand 8 students and parents in Malatya, 9 thousand 849 in Kahramanmaraş, 12 thousand 677 in Hatay and 4 thousand 844 students in Adıyaman.” said.
Özer said: “With the opening of the schools in the provinces in question, in line with the psychosocial action plan prepared by our Ministry, the earthquake psychoeducation program was started to be implemented by the classroom guidance teachers, and the loss and grief psychoeducation programs were started to be implemented by our guidance teachers/psychological counselors. Information sessions on the loss and mourning process for teachers and parents are also organized by guidance counselors/psychological counselors.”
Pointing out that psychosocial support services are carried out by guidance and psychological counseling services in districts where schools have not been opened yet, Özer said, “In these provinces, studies are carried out on subjects such as motivation, goal setting and exam anxiety for our students who are preparing for LGS and YKS. In addition, the social, emotional, academic and career developments of our students are supported by the studies carried out by the guidance and psychological counseling services.” made its assessment.
Emphasizing that the normalization of life largely depends on the normalization of education, Minister Özer stated that they took very rapid steps in this regard and said, “As the Ministry of National Education, we have provided comprehensive psychosocial education support for our students and teachers in the disaster area, in line with our effort to normalize life. This support will continue.” said.