CBSE Now Requires Every School to Hire Full-Time Career and Wellness Counsellors

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has revised its regulations, directing all affiliated schools to appoint full-time Counsellors, Wellness Teachers, and Career Counsellors to better support students’ socio-emotional and career development. Previously, only Counsellors and Wellness Teachers were mandatory, with Career Counsellors optional.

Under the new guidelines, secondary and senior secondary schools must appoint one Counsellor and Wellness Teacher per 500 students and one Career Counsellor per 500 students in Classes 9 to 12. Schools with fewer than 300 students may continue to engage part-time counsellors. Appointed staff must also complete 50 hours of Capacity Building Programmes (CBPs) prescribed by CBSE.

Counsellors and Wellness Teachers must hold a master’s or bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s in social work, or a degree with a diploma in school or child counselling. They should have expertise in social-emotional learning, crisis intervention, mental health identification, parent-teacher sensitisation, and confidentiality management.

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Career Counsellors must possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree in humanities, science, social sciences, management, education, or technology. They are expected to have skills in career assessment, higher education guidance in India and abroad, research, and student-parent career counselling, along with the ability to liaise with universities and industry bodies.

CBSE has encouraged schools to adopt the Counselling Hub and Spoke School Model to enhance mental health and career guidance services. The updated norms aim to ensure comprehensive student support, fostering both academic and personal growth in a structured and professional manner.

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