LETTERS: So much is being said about mental health and how we need to be sensitive to the wellness of our students and their environment.
My main take on this is: do we teach EQ to our students from a young. age?
EQ refers to emotional intelligence or emotional quotient.
The aspects involved in EQ education are perceiving emotions, reacting, understanding and managing emotions.
As much as we educate students to deal with cognitive development through teaching and learning, examinations and gradings, there is a crucial need to educate students on EQ for the knowledge, skills and attitude components.
I remember when I was about 9 when I told my late mum that I could not sleep at night; my stomach was not feeling good. All she told me was, "You are overthinking about your studies and your broken home."
This went on until I came to the realisation that I was experiencing emotional pain. Being young and ambitious and a student leader, I had lots of challenges dealing with and managing my emotions.
Now that I am stable and understand the holistic aspects of education while also managing all aspects of life, I feel the need to ensure that parents, teachers, and society focus on EQ education as much as academic performance.
How do we start?
FIRST, focus on parents and educators. They must be able to have self-awareness, which includes the ability to recognise and understand their own emotions and how such emotions affect their thoughts and behaviour.
SECOND is the disciplining part, where self-regulation comes into play. Educators need the ability to manage and control their emotions, thoughts and behaviours in teaching and learning situations.
If one student does not complete his homework, it is not fair to scold the entire class and make everyone unhappy. Here, social skills are important, and teachers need to know when and how to reprimand students and appreciate them too.
The young ones, as well as their educators, need to have lifelong support and lifelong education in EQ education.
We must make a bold move to transform conventional education into community education where IQ and EQ are given equal importance.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR VISHALACHE BALAKRISHNAN
Coordinator, SULAM@Service Learning, Universiti Malaya
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
