Mexico creates weekly emotional learning hour for 6.8 million students

Mexico has begun giving an estimated 6.8 million adolescents a regular place in the school week to understand emotions and seek support. Under the national “ABC of Emotions” strategy, students in the third year of lower secondary school and throughout upper secondary education will spend one hour each week on social and emotional learning.

Lessons will help students identify and express feelings, practise self-care, build healthier relationships and recognise when they may need help. They will also examine how phones and social media can affect anxiety, sleep and relationships. Activities and games will accompany the guides, with schools able to address students’ needs.

To support the rollout, Mexico’s government is distributing 16 million guides: 7.5 million for students, 7.5 million for parents and caregivers, and one million for teachers. The materials include exercises for classrooms, homes and individual use, extending the effort beyond a single weekly session.

Families will be invited to school information meetings from October through December. Planned school visits by public officials and health teams will add reading, group activities and mental health support, while the 24-hour Línea de la Vida service offers another route to guidance.