PETALING JAYA , Nov 29 — The Education Ministry is setting up a committee to study the support system for students in schools.

The committee plans to ensure every school in the country will have at least one professional counsellor to assist students facing depression.

This decision comes following the death of Hon Ye, 17, from SMK Raja Abdullah who took his own life after sitting for the SPM Additional Mathematics 1 examination last Tuesday. It is believed the boy was upset that his poor performance in the examination may have affected his chances of getting a university scholarship.

Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon, who has been tasked with setting up the committee, said not every school had a counsellor. Chong said the lack of teachers trained for the role had contributed to the problem.

“There are positions for guidance and counselling teachers but not every school has been able to fill the post.

“But the ones we have now are qualified and specially trained with skills to speak to students with problems,” he said yesterday.

Chong also said only a handful of students actually seek help from counsellors.

“This is because people feel they would be judged when they seek help for emotional issues.

“It is a problem we need to address as it defeats the purpose of having counsellors if students are not reaching out to them for help.”

He said students also tend to turn to family and close friends for help.

“This is where the problem may turn sticky as these people may not be giving them the best solution, and this will lead to other issues.”

Chong said besides having counsellors in schools, the committee would also re-look the function and effectiveness of current school counsellors.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid had earlier said the committee would be formed once Hong Ye’s post-mortem report is released next week.

Chong also said the ministry was also looking into revamping the education system, in line with the National Education Blueprint.

Announced in 2013, the Education Blueprint 2013-2025, outlines 11 shifts that would transform the current exam-oriented system to one that enhances students’ critical thinking skills.

“There are many unnecessary exams in schools but we have been told parents want these tests to push their children to study. This must stop,” said Chong, who believes education must be holistic.

He said education reforms will take place from time to time, but it involved all parties to break away from the examination-based mentality to determine education excellence.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had on Friday urged the ministry to take Hon Ye’s death seriously. Najib said help in the form of counselling must be increased to prevent incidents like this from happening again.