COUNSELING OF STUDENTS AT SCHOOL LEVEL

Guidance and counseling is an important part of education at every level, especially at school level. Gaurav Goswami talks about the ever increasing need for appropriate counseling and guidance of school students in India.

A quick look back

In India schools are considered as the temple of learning and education is the preparation of life. In the past, Indian society with its strong family bonds, warm community feeling and spiritual essence has been working as a buffer in times of crisis and a support system to deal with various psycho-social issues. But, in recent times the Indian society have gone through a sea of changes from, the changing role of women, to a breakdown of the joint family system, rise in divorces, to increase in competitiveness in schools, rise in sociability of the children, increased technological advances, and peer and parental pressure, that have resulted in the formation of an environment that is loaded with stress and strain for students to deal with.    

Essence of education

Aim of education is the all-round development and harmonious adjustment of an individual in various aspects of student’s life. If this is to be achieved then education is not limited to imparting knowledge as the duty of a teacher, and accumulating knowledge as the duty of a student. Thus for self realization of the student guidance and counseling is needed. In short school counseling helps in reducing the effect of environmental and institutional barriers that impedes a student’s academic success.

History of school counseling

School counseling in India is relatively new. The first Child Guidance Clinic was started by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences at Wadia Hospital in 1938. The Wadia hospital also started a school health unit the same year, which referred children with behavioral problems to the hospital. The Ministry of Education, Government of India established the Central Bureau of Education and Vocational Guidance in 1954. After the 3rd five year plan; 1961, guidance services were initiated in schools by the trained counselors and career masters with assistance from school teachers. 1966 onwards the number of schools providing guidance service in one form or the other rose to 300. From the year 2000 the Central Bureau of Education and Vocational guidance has delegated the work of guidance professionals training to the regional institute of Guidance at Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhuvaneshwar and Mysore.   

Need for guidance

At adolescence the student must know about his/her capacities, potential, and job opportunities after higher studies, about the expenses towards higher education, availability of scholarships and the places of admission etc. The student needs guidance for right selection of courses of studies and personal guidance for his/her problems. Even if many students may have educated adults for assistance, but may be reluctant to approach them. In some families the parents or elders may be uneducated. There may be instances where parents and elders at home are busy with their own professional lives, and the adolescents are left without any help and in some cases without love and affection. Unfortunate students face heterosexual problems, which they cannot discuss with parents. Apart from these problems, students do not know the method of studying, the right method of preparing for the examination, how to allocate leisure time, and how better to adjust with siblings at home and with peer group at school. Guidance is needed not only for the adolescent in problems, but also for gifted students. Guidance is also needed to check the dropout from school, to minimize the incidents of indiscipline. For the adolescents who lack a sense of direction, purpose and a sense of fulfillment, guidance is needed.

Lot of work needs to be done

There is a better need to enhance the school counseling field in India. Plus awareness towards emotional and behavioral adjustment needs of students and its associations with academic performance should be created among the teachers, parents, educators, administrators and community.

I end this article with a question ‘what is the aim of counseling?’

The following tries to point out what counseling aspires for-

• ·        To bring about the desired change in the individual for self realization.
• ·        To provide assistance to solve problems through an intimate personal relationship.
• ·        To achieve positive mental health.
• ·        To help students to make proper and satisfactory adjustments for improved academic pursuits and useful life.