Cyber Wellness & Mental Health
Cyber Wellness Programme
What is Cyber Wellness?
Cyber Wellness (CW) focuses on the well-being of our students as they navigate cyberspace. Our curriculum aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to harness the power of ICT for positive purposes, maintain a positive presence in cyberspace and be safe and responsible users of ICT.
GESS adopts MOE’s Cyber Wellness Framework in the inculcation of Cyber Wellness in our students. The framework focuses on three key processes: Sense, Think and Act
The Cyber Wellness programme in GESS comprises assembly talks, CCE lessons and the Cyber Wellness Ambassador programme to advocate cyber wellness efforts. The following are the guiding principles of Cyber Wellness:
1. Respect for Self and Others
Students need to :
- uphold their own dignity when online (e.g. share appropriate content and participate in only legal online activities)
- respect other people online (e.g. put themselves in others’ shoes, accept diverse views and opinions, give credit when using other people’s work and seek permission where necessary, avoid sharing hurtful materials).
2. Safe and Responsible Use
Students need to:
- have an understanding of the risks of harmful and illegal online behaviour, and take steps to protect themselves (e.g. keep their personal information private, verify the reliability of information using various sources, take steps to avoid dangers they may encounter online).
- make wise and healthy choices (e.g. maintain a healthy balance of their online and offline activities).
3. Positive Peer Influence
Students need to:
- be a positive role model online (e.g. share healthy and positive content, harness the affordances of technology to do good for society).
- advocate positive online behaviour (e.g. stand up for their peers online, report cases of cyber bullying to a trusted adult/authority, post encouraging remarks on social media).
Cyber Wellness Ambassadors in GESS
The Cyber Wellness Ambassadors (CWA) in GESS aim to guide their peers to be safe and discerning ICT users. They champion ICT efforts and spread positive Cyber Wellness messages in GESS.
The CWA are trained to:
- promote safe, responsible and meaningful use of ICT through monthly sharing on Cyber Wellness issues such as Cyber Bullying, Spreading of False information and Managing Screen Time.
- champion the use of new media such as note-taking using their Personal Learning Devices (PLDs) by guiding their classmates to harness the power of ICT for effective learning.
- spread the LEARN routines to their peers so as to help their peers to learn effectively using their PLDs.
In 2022, the lower secondary ambassadors advocate the safe and responsible use of ICT through the monthly sharing to their classmates. On the other hand, the upper secondary ambassadors also took part in the National Cyber Wellness Advocacy Challenge to advocate and spread the messages related to Cyber Wellness issues. The focus of the campaign was on Misinformation and Filter Bubble.
Mental Health Education
Gan Eng Seng School Mental Health Education (MHE) Programme is designed to achieve the following goals:
- Strengthen students’ resilience and well-being for good mental health
- Guide students to understand mental health as a continuum (mental wellness to mental illness)
- Develop in students an understanding of mental illness and their treatments
- Enhance students’ help-seeking efficacy
- Destigmatise mental illness for our students
The MHE curriculum in GESS takes reference from the topics stipulated by MOE’s Student Development Curriculum Division. In line with the goals stated above, we have customised a series of MHE programmes for our students such as assembly talks, sharing by Peer Support Leaders and journaling.
To encourage journaling among our students, the school has developed “It’s Okay not to be Okay” Journals for all students which aims to allow every Gessian to learn how to think positively, overcome obstacles, be grateful and unlock the amazing potential that he/she has.
