As such, we do more than just educating secondary school students in the traditional sense. For our younger students – JSS 1 students in particular - we enlighten them about the necessary adjustments they might need to make to the new teaching and assignment styles in secondary school and how they can manage the academic workload to avoid mental stress.
Though mental health issues are very personal and symptoms can vary greatly in different situations, at Premiere Academy, Abuja, we try our best to be sensitive to our secondary school students by looking out for these general signs:
- exhibiting little interest in doing anything.
- inability to concentrate on classwork and extracurricular activities.
- excessive worry
- displaying a major change in eating or sleeping habits.
- exhibiting extreme highs and lows of emotions.
- constant sadness or a lack of energy.
- withdrawal from social and club activities.
- performing below expectation academically.
The Guidance and Counselling unit provides students who are displaying any of these signs the needed support.
As a matter of practice, we always let our high school students know that it is OK to be in tune with their emotions and to speak to our team of counsellors whenever they need to. We also encourage them to always refer to the Guidance and Counselling Unit in situations where they notice unusual behavioural or temperamental patterns in other students. This also helps to foster a sense of community, one in which everyone genuinely cares about everyone else. In peculiar situations, with the support of our Guidance and Counselling Unit, we provide one-to-one support from mental health practitioners - an empathetic solution that other top secondary schools in Abuja may have yet to consider.
Likewise, during our Gender Assemblies, the Guidance and Counselling unit educates students on Mental Health and how they can better manage stress. Students participate in this programme in different smaller groups.
As an institution that prides itself on being one of the top secondary schools in Abuja in all aspects, we will continue to help our high school students maintain the best academic standards, without neglecting their physical and mental health.