MUMBAI: “Real learning only happens when a child feels safe emotionally and mentally.” That was Aamir Khan, not in a film, but in real life, as he joined educationist Ganesh Kohli for a deeply personal and urgent conversation on mental health and inclusion in schools. In a session titled “Education and Counselling for Inclusion”, streamed live to educators and students around the globe, Khan opened up about his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par, his own family’s experiences with neurodiversity, and the often overlooked need for emotional scaffolding in academic spaces.
Organised by the IC3 Movement, the session wasn’t just talk, it mirrored a broader call for change. India, where over 13,000 students die by suicide annually, faces a staggering crisis. IC3’s report, Student Suicides: An Epidemic Sweeping India, reveals that this rate is doubling faster than general suicide rates, demanding not just awareness, but action.
Khan, known for Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots, didn’t hold back. “We speak of excellence,” he said, “but we forget, it’s impossible without emotional safety.” His words resonated against findings from IC3’s 2024 Annual Student Quest Report, which surveyed students and counsellors across 56 countries. 81 per cent of students and 83 per cent of counsellors said that connecting personal values like passion and purpose with career choices improves mental well-being and clarity.
IC3 Founder Ganesh Kohli stressed that inclusion must go beyond good intentions. “It requires transforming mindsets, policies, and day-to-day interactions,” he said. “Inclusion is about ensuring every student belongs.”
The session spotlighted some urgent themes: stigma around mental health, the shortage of trained school counsellors, and the need for emotionally intelligent educators. “Teachers should be the highest paid professionals in any society,” said Khan, reiterating how one bad teacher can damage generations, and one good one can change lives.
This dialogue sets the tone for the upcoming 2025 Annual IC3 Conference & Expo (August 20–21, Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai), themed “Counseling as a Culture”. It will bring together educators and policymakers from 95 plus countries, and focus on weaving career and college counselling into the fabric of every school where well-being matters just as much as test scores.
As anxiety, burnout, and academic pressure hit alarming levels, conversations like these are no longer optional. They’re a syllabus in themselves. And in Aamir Khan’s words, perhaps it’s time schools stop chasing marks, and start listening to what truly makes a child thrive.
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