CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Guidance

A very minor percentage of our total population is capable of handling its problems
Independently without the cooperation and guidance of others. We find that majority of the
people do not have either confidence or insight to solve their problems. They seek advice or
guidance from others wherever there is a problem. There have always been people in the
past who need occasional help from older or more experienced associates in meeting with
their problems of daily life in the society.

Traditionally, in our Indian society, the leader of the family or the local community was
supposed to provide the necessary guidance and advice whenever it was needed by any
member of the family or the community. Needless to mention too often informal advice.
given without a clear understanding of the problem involved, was likely to be not only
ineffectful but harmful and misleading to the individual. With the passage of time,
revolutionary changes have taken place in the fields of medicine, industry, business and
agriculture etc.

In the last four decades guidance movement has spread like a wildfire throughout the world
and has generated a great amount of enthusiasm and zeal among parents, teachers and
social workers who have devoted time to explore its feasibility and utility for the general
population including school-going adolescents. All are convinced that proper provision of
guidance services should be made for children at different age levels for the harmonious
development of their personalities in the larger interest of the society and the individuals.

MEANING AND DEFINITION OF GUIDANCE

Guidance is the assistance made available by qualified and trained persons to an

individual of any age to help him to manage his own life activities, develop his own
points of view, make his own decisions and carry on his own burdens.

In the educational context, guidance means assisting students to select courses of study
appropriate to their needs and interests, achieve academic excellence to the best possible
extent, derive maximum benefit of the institutional resources and facilities, inculcate proper
study habits, satisfactorily participate in curricular and extracurricular activities

Guidance, in India, is comparatively a new field within the larger and more inclusive field of
education. It covers the whole spectrum of education which starts from the birth of the
child and continues till his death. This is a wide meaning of the term which includes all
types of education, formal, nonformal, vocational etc., which aims to adjust the
individual in his environment in an effective way. Another meaning of the term is that
guidance is a specialized service whose primary concern is with the individual. It may be
said that guidance is given to individuals in making intelligent choice and adjustments.
It is based on the democratic principle that it is the duty and right of every individual to
choose his own way in life insofar as his choice does not interfere with the rights of others.

Guidance has been defined from different points of views. Some of the important definitions
are given below which throw light on different aspects of guidance.

Crow and Crow in their book Introduction to Guidance have given a very comprehensive
definition of the term guidance which runs as: "Guidance is assistance made available by
professionally qualified and adequately trained men or women to an individual of any
age to help him manage his own life activities, develop his own points of view, make
his own decisions and carry his own burdens."

D.G. Mortensen: et al, in their book Guidance in Today's Schools have defined guidance as
"That part of the total educational programme that helps provide the personal
opportunities and specialized staff services by which each individual can develop to
the fullest his abilities and capacities in terms of the democratic ideal."

According to the National Vocational Guidance Association (NVGA), "Guidance is the process
of helping a person to develop and accept an integrated and adequate picture of himself
and of his role in the world of work, to test this concept against reality and to convert it into
reality with satisfaction to himself and benefit to society."

Welty, Turral and Weitzel say that "Guidance is that systematic, organized phase of the
educational process which helps youth grow in his power to give point and direction to his
own life, to the end that he may gain richer personal experiences while making his unique
contribution to our democratic society."

Guidance, as defined by Jones, "is the help given by one person to another in making
choices and adjustments and in solving problems."

Shertzer and Stone in their book Fundamentals of Guidance have given a very brief definition
of the term guidance. "It is the process of helping individuals to understand themselves and
their world."

NEED FOR GUIDANCE

Human beings by nature tend to seek advice and assistance from others whenever they are
confronted with a problem. It is assumed that a person is bound to seek assistance from
others, and the advice or assistance which other persons provide may not always be of great
use or may sometime prove harmful.

India is a democratic country. Education which was confined to classes has now reached the
masses with the declaration of universalization of education and equal educational
opportunities to all irrespective of caste, colour, region, economic and social difference. The
success of democracy depends on educated and enlightened individuals who should share
the responsibilities of running the administration smoothly and efficiently. Guidance is an
integral part of Education. Guidance is necessary for the following reasons:
(a) Guidance services if properly organized help to eliminate wastage and stagnation by
developing the curriculum according to the needs and abilities of students.

(b) Students are helped to select courses according to their abilities, interests and aptitudes.

(c) Guidance services decrease the number of misfits by helping such cases to see things
realistically and adjust themselves.

(d) Students are prepared for professional leadership in the changed socio-economic and
industrial conditions in which different occupations have emerged which require specialized
training.

(e) The child's healthy growth is encouraged.

(f) Problems of discipline and delinquency are solved.

(g) It helps to supply the right personnel for various jobs in private and public sectors.

(h) The population in our country is increasing at a tremendous rate and if it is not checked it
will create chaotic conditions in the country. The individuals require guidance to plan their
family.

(i) The increase in population, industrialization and westernization have created a number of
problems for our adolescents who are facing frustration, conflicts and tensions and other
strain and stress in the present decade. It is imperative to provide guidance to the young
generation to save them from stress and strain of a developing society

(j) Individuals differ in physical, mental, social and emotional characteristics. To provide for
the maximum development of individuality, guidance is essentially needed, particularly for
exceptional children.

(k) Problems of women are emerging as a new area where guidance is needed for proper
adjustment in the family. The cases of divorce, separation and desertion are very rapidly
increasing in our society which are posing a new threat to our traditional social system.

(l) There are other problems which are unique to our society as for instance problems of
scheduled castes, problems of social conflicts problems of retired persons and problems of
industrial relations where guidance is needed.

FUNCTIONS OF GUIDANCE

Guidance as interpreted by workers in the field is applicable to all aspects of human life, i.e.
physical, mental, social and emotional in all stages of development right from infancy to old
age. The main objective of guidance is to help the individual to utilize his basic potentialities
to the maximum for adequate adjustment in the environment. The following specific and
interrelated functions are common to all types of guidance services.
1. The first function of guidance is to understand the individual and discover the real needs
and problems of individuals and to explore the possibilities of personality development
within the context of the education process.

2. The second function is to use information collected about students to adjust instruction to
meet individual needs and to help to develop attitudes and patterns of behaviour that can
help each individual to develop optimally.

3. The third function is to develop among teachers a greater understanding of child growth
and development.

4. The fourth function is to provide such specialized services as orientation, individual

inventory, counselling, occupational information group guidance, placement and follow-up
services.

5. The last and important function is to provide information and feedback conditioning
research which evaluates the success of the programme of guidance of various types. The
results of research, testing and related studies about young people must be supplied on a
continuing basis to administrators, curriculum planners and teachers as a means of ensuring
the proper climate and conditions for learning.

SCOPE OF GUIDANCE SERVICES

Guidance is not a once-for-all activity but is a continuous process in the life of the individual.
The following are the specific activities which fall within the purview of guidance.

(a) Personal Social problems of the individual, their diagnosis and prescribing remedial
measures to resolve them.

(b) Educational problems of the individual, and to suggest remedial measures for their
resolution.

(c) Vocational problems - Helping the individual in the choice of an appropriate vocation and
aiding him to acquire proficiency in the vocation.

(d) Appraisal of individuals - Students' appraisal is an important aspect of guidance

personnel's work, which helps students to develop their potentialities to the maximum.

(e) Counselling - After making appraisal through various test and non-test techniques the
guidance worker provides counselling to the counsellee keeping into consideration the
strengths and weaknesses of his personality and other variables operating in the
environment.

(f) Placement - In the placement services the counsellee is placed in an appropriate course
vocation on the basis of guidance provided to him.

(g) Follow-up and Research Follow-up is a process in which the guidance personnel follow
up the incumbents after placing them in a course vocation and see whether they are
progressing satisfactorily. Research is also one of the important activities in guidance
through which curricular programmes are modified and improved.

 Guidance and counselling is aimed at assisting students to draw up their own plans
of academic and non-academic pursuits and arrive at right decisions to implement
the plans and find solutions to the problems. It does not attempt at providing any set
solution to students’ problems.
 Guidance and counselling is intended to help the individual to realise his
potentialities and to make optimum contribution to the growth of the society.
Serving society to the best of one's ability is the rightful obligation of every
individual, more so that of an educated person who has had the benefit of education
from the finances of the society.
 Guidance and counselling must help the person to solve his own problems and make
proper choice and adjustment. A person whose problems have been left unsolved
can hardly be expected to understand the societal requirements and make
contributions to meet the same.
 Guidance and counselling must aim at providing assistance to teachers in their efforts
to understand their students. This in fact, is the most important function of guidance
and counselling services. It is to be realised that guidance and counselling and
teaching work are complementary to each other. These must never be thought of as
two different services. Guidance and counselling programme, in fact, must encourage
and stimulate better teaching by enabling teachers to gain a better understanding of
their students.
 Guidance and counselling services are aimed at enabling students to acquire abilities
which promote self-direction and self-realisation.
 Guidance and counselling aim at developing in students’ qualities such as
perseverance, dedication, sincerity, devotion, positive outlook, respect for views of
others, temperament which are essential to them for making significant contributions.
 Guidance and counselling are centred around the needs and aspirations of students.

LIMITATIONS OF GUIDANCE

Though organization of guidance services is considered essential to channelize the energy of

modern youth in the proper direction for the welfare of the individual and the society, in our
country guidance services are at an initial stage and have to be geared properly to meet the
challenges of a developing society. There are certain specific problems which are unique to
our country. Some of the problems are given below:

1. Guidance services whether personal, educational and vocational have been and still are
limited in our country by lack of properly trained personnel in the profession. In our country
the facilities as well as time to provide guidance services at different levels of education are
too meagre.
2. It is wrong and unrealistic to assume that guidance is a panacea for all educational
problems. It is simply one of the means of education for personalizing its services and goals.

3. Guidance in school is limited in what it can do in terms of career and occupational choices
but how most effectively to combine student abilities with career and occupational choices is
the greatest problem which the guidance workers face in our country. There is no central
coordinating agency which may coordinate the work of different organizations working in
the country.

4. Guidance workers use tests to assess the potentialities of individuals but the reliability of
testing instrument is open to question. Moreover, the testing material employed by
untrained persons may be unreliable. In our country, there is a lack of reliable and valid
testing materials which may be used for heterogeneous groups of pupils.

5. The conditions of living in our society are too complex. It is very difficult for any one
person to resolve quickly the problems of another person in any simple setting. No doubt
guidance is able to furnish much to the insight needed for resolving the individual's
problems, but such insight needs to be used in terms of all our efforts.

NATURE OF GUIDANCE

The nature of guidance has been defined by Mohein as, 'Guidance seeks to create within the
child the need and power to explore and understand himself in order to prepare a balance
sheet of his assets and liabilities so that he is able to plan out his future growth and activities
in a manner that offers maximum likelihood of success and satisfaction."

Guidance is based on certain basic principles which are described as follows:

1. Guidance aims at the holistic development of an individual: Guidance aims at the

development of a person as a whole. The aim of guidance is not just achieving academic
excellence for an individual. It focuses on the physical and social aspects of development
of individuals as well.
2. Guidance recognizes the individuality of every person: Guidance is based on the
principle that every individual is different from the other and that every person is unique.
Guidance emphasizes the fact that every person needs to be shown respect as the
dignity of an individual is supreme. In other words, the dignity and respect for a person
should not be affected by factors like age, gender and appearance.
3. Guidance manoeuvres individual behavioural processes: Guidance affects the
behaviour of an individual and enables a person to gain better control over his behaviour
in terms of likes, dislikes, weaknesses and so on.
4. Guidance is based on cooperation: As a helping service, guidance is based on
cooperation in the sense that the person seeking help must be ready to cooperate with
the one providing help for the best results. Guidance cannot be forced upon an
individual. In addition, if guidance is forced upon someone, the person may not
cooperate and may even become stubborn.
5. Guidance is a continuous and sequential process: Guidance is a continuous and
sequential process aimed at achieving a single goal that is, overall development of a
person. As a lifelong and continuous process, guidance begins at home and then is
available at school and also in the community.

In other words, there are several people who guide an individual into imbibing the right
values and attitude to develop as an individual.

PRINCIPLES OF GUIDANCE

The authors of An Introduction to Guidance, Lester. D. Crow and Alice Crow have laid down
the following principles of guidance which are accepted, especially when it comes to
education.

Principle of all-round development: According to this principle, guidance must take into
consideration the overall development of an individual, when it aims to bring about
developmental adjustment in the individual.

Principle of human uniqueness: According to this principle, guidance takes into

consideration the fact that every individual is unique and his distinct characteristics facilitate
his development. Guidance, therefore, meets the developmental and help needs of each
individual in a different manner.

Principle of holistic development: Guidance must focus on the total development of the
personality of an individual. Guidance must take into consideration every aspect of the
personality of an individual that affect his development.

Principle of cooperation: According to this principle, no individual can be forced into

guidance. To be guided, the consent and cooperation of the person seeking guidance is
must.

Principle of continuity: According to this principle, guidance must be provided to an

individual needing help in all stages of life and, therefore, is a continuous process.

Principle of extension: According to this principle, guidance is not limited to only children
who are studying in schools. In fact, guidance must be provided. to people of all ages
especially those who need it. The principle of extension says that guidance must be provided
to all people who can benefit from it directly or indirectly.

Principle of elaboration: This principle states that when guidance is provided as an integral
part of education, the curriculum and teaching techniques must be elaborated in such a
manner that guidance can turn out to be an effective process.

Principle of adjustment: This principle states that guidance must aim at helping an
individual adjust to his physical, mental and social needs and environment.
Principle of individual needs: According to this principle, the needs of every individual are
different and so guidance must be provided in accordance with these needs and demands.
Guidance must enable an individual to take decisions that meet his needs.

Principle of expert opinion: According to this principle, serious problems related to

guidance must be directed at people who are experts and can help an individual with their
opinion.

The principle of evaluation. The guidance programme should be evaluated in terms of its

effectiveness and improvement. Evaluation is essential for the formulation of new goals or
re-drafting the existing goals.

The principle of responsibility. Parents and teachers have great responsibility in the

execution of the work of guidance. The responsibility for guidance should be centred on a
qualified and trained person, who is the head the guidance centre.

The principle of periodic appraisal. Periodic appraisal should be made of the existing

guidance programme so that requisite changes, if any can be carried out for its
improvement.

IMPORTANCE OF GUIDANCE

Guidance is considered important for the following reasons:

1) It promotes self-understanding and self-direction.

2) It promotes optimal development of an individual.
3) It helps an individual solve different problems.
4) It helps in academic growth and development.
5) It helps in making vocational choices.
6) It promotes social as well as personal adjustment of an individual.
7) It promotes better family life.
8) It promotes optimal use of resources.
9) It promotes national development.

Guidance is, therefore, considered important not only for students, but also for parents,
teachers, administrators and community members. When it comes to education, guidance
covers the whole spectrum of the educational world. Guidance includes all types of
education-formal, informal, vocational and special. With relation to education, guidance can,
thus, be viewed as follows:

 A specialized service which helps an individual solve his problems by opting for the
right solution to his problem among the various options available.
 A general service which is similar to education and the various educational
processes.
 A sub-process of education which focuses on developmental needs of the learners.
According to Secondary Education Committee (1952-53), "Guidance involves the difficult art
of helping boys and girls to plan their future wisely in the full light of all the factors that can
be mastered about themselves and about the world in which they are to live and work."

Guidance, as stated, has always been an integral part of education. However, over the last
few years, the need for guidance has increased because of advancement in technology,
social change, globalization, need for outstanding leadership, changes in morality and
integrity, lofty aspirations and so on. Guidance, therefore, needs to be made available at the
very basic and ground level in educational institutions so that an individual can adjust to his
environment socially, physical, mentally and emotionally.

AIMS OF GUIDANCE

Kothari Commission, Daulat Singh Kothari Chairman, first commission that dealt
with education problems of girls, backward classes, tribal people, disabled or
challenged people. Some of the important objectives behind setting up the Kothari
Commission are listed below. The Kothari Commission had given 23
recommendations to revamp the education system in India.
Thus, on the basis of the need of guidance at various stages of life and education,
the Kothari Education Commission has specified the following aims of guidance at
the secondary school level:

 It helps the adolescents to know about their skills and abilities and also
develop the same in an effective manner.
 It enables the students to understand their strengths and weaknesses. It also
helps the students to do scholastic work as per their abilities and skills.
 It helps students in making educational and vocational choices which are
realistic in nature.
 It aims at helping students in acquiring information about various educational
opportunities. To help the students to adjust to their personal as well as social
space and environment.
 To help the school authorities to understand students so that the educational
programs can be designed and delivered in an effective manner.

Need for appointment of commission:

1) Need for a comprehensive policy of education in spite no. of education

committees after independence, satisfactory progress would not be achieved.
2) Need for detailed study even though a good deal of expansion of education
facilities took place; it was at the expanse of quality.
3) Need to emphasize role of people in national development. To make people
aware that they have a share in the national development along with the
government.
 4) Need for overview of educational development. To create more integration
between various parts and consider it as a whole not as fragments.
5) Need for positive approach to the status of teacher. The teacher community
had been neglected suffering many hardships requiring a positive approach to
the problem.

Crow and Crow have listed the following aims of guidance:

 Guidance aims to help the students to choose the curriculum according to

 their abilities, interests and future needs.
 It enables students to develop work and study habits which guide them
towards success.
 It encourages students to understand the purpose and the function of the
school in fulfilling their needs.
 Guidance aims to help students in finding out what the school has to offer in
terms of study plans.
 It facilitates the students to identify the schools that they may want to attend
to acquire higher education.
 It aims to help the students to select and try out the various courses that they
may be interested in.
 It aims to help the students in developing leadership qualities by allowing
them to participate in various school activities.
 It aims to help the students to develop and maintain fitness levels that can
help them to continue their studies.
 Guidance enables students to develop an attitude to continue their studies the
chosen educational institution.

TYPES OF GUIDANCE

Guidance services are meant to help students make proper adjustments with the
environment in which they are living and also make the best possible contributions
commensurate with one's strengths and limitations. Every individual, at some time or other,
needs help to become happier, more creative and better adjusted in his family and social
milieu. In this regard, he will be required to act according to certain decisions. He being self-
autonomous must therefore, be permitted to make his own decisions. There are several areas
where students require assistance. These areas can be classified into:

 Educational
 Vocational
 Personal
 Social
 Avocational Health
Educational Guidance refers to the Guidance to students in all aspects of education. The
emphasis is on providing assistance to students to perform satisfactorily in their academic
work, choose the appropriate courses of study, overcome learning difficulties, foster
creativity, improve levels of motivation, utilise institutional resources optimally such as
library, laboratory, workshop etc.

Vocational Guidance is the assistance provided for selection of a vocation and preparation
for the same. It is concerned with enabling students to acquire information about career
opportunities, career growth and training facilities.

Personal Guidance refers to the guidance to students to enable them to adjust themselves
to their environment so that they become efficient citizens. Adolescent behaviour, to a great
extent, depends upon the moods and attitudes of the adolescent. Emotional instability is a
characteristic of adolescents and this is often the cause of many of their personal problems.

Social Guidance is the guidance to students to enable them to make substantial

contributions to the society, assume leadership, conform to the social norms, work as team
members, develop healthy and positive attitudes, appreciate the problems of society, respect
the opinions and sentiments of fellow beings, acquire traits of patience, perseverance,
fraternity, friendship. Its main purpose is to enable the student to become an efficient citizen.

Avocational Guidance is the assistance to be provided to students to spend their available

leisure time profitably. Activities and programmes outside the formal classrooms provide
many opportunities for the blossoming of talents of students. They may use their leisure time
in many activities such as games, photography, drama, fine arts which have recreational
value also. Students must enjoy life around them through which all round development is
possible.

Health guidance implies the assistance rendered to students for maintaining sound health.
Sound health is a prerequisite for participating in curricular and cocurricular activities. This
type of guidance focuses on enabling students to appreciate conditions for good health, and
take steps necessary for ensuring good health, maintaining sound physical and mental
health. A sound mind is possible only in a sound body.

Financial guidance is defined as impartial, unregulated guidance that helps individuals

identify and understand their financial needs and priorities based on their circumstances. It
seeks to provide financial information, rules of thumb and general guidance in respect of
possible options a person may wish to consider based on a general understanding of his/her
current circumstances, needs and priorities, so that individuals are supported and better able
to make their own informed decisions about what actions they wish to take in respect of
their finances.

The objectives of the various types of guidance are indicated in the following table:

TYPES OBJECTIVES
Educational  Monitor academic progress of students
 Identify special learners such as academically backward, gifted, and
creative
  Assist students in further/continuing education
 Provide assistance to special learners by catering to their
educational needs.
 Diagnose the learning difficulties of students in different subjects
 Help students in their adjustment to curricular and cocurricular
demands of the educational programme.
 Make students familiar with the world of work and its diverse
requirements
 Provide career information
Vocational  Enable students to discover their potentialities and interests vis-a-
vis occupational requirements
 Make available information about vocational training
 Assist in choice of vocation.
 Train students for entrepreneurship
 Train students for adjustment in a chosen vocation
 Assist students in attaining emotional stability
 Help students to get properly adjusted in life
Personal  Help students to improve their mental health
 Assist students in becoming progressively responsible for their own
development
Social  Help students develop proper attitudes for social life
 Inculcate in students right values
 Train students for leadership and followership qualities
 Build a spirit of teamwork in students
Avocational  Provide opportunities for participation in extracurricular activities
 Assist students in developing hobbies and interests
 Provide avenues for recreation
 Inculcate interest in games and other forms of recreational activities
 Assist in using leisure time profitably
Moral  Shaping right ideals and beliefs in the students
 Prevents students from being affected by factors that lead them to
indulge in undesirable practices.
 Ensures individual remains on the right path
 Facilitates the all-round development of the individual.
Health  Indicate need for sound health
 Provide sex education
 Encourage students to follow a well-balanced programme of
physical activities
 Encourage students to overcome any remedial defects they may
have or receive medical treatment for them.
Financial  To ensure availability of funds whenever required
 Helps in investing finances in right projects
 Help be prepared for emergencies
 Helps in saving money for the future
 Maximum and optimal utilisation of money in the present to ensure
a good standard of living
 To attain a peace of mind and stability in the context of money
CONCEPT OF EDUCATION

Education in simple terms means learning. Education, more formally, can be defined as a
process of acquiring knowledge, skills, beliefs, values and habits. Education is essential to live
in the society. It is essential for everyone to receive education so that an individual is aware
of his rights, duties and responsibilities. Most people associate education with what is learnt
in school from a young age. However, the concept of education goes beyond what is learnt
within the four walls of a school. Education can be referred to anything that one learns in an
environment. A person can learn from other people around, from experiences, from
interactions and many other ways. All this adds to what a person learns in school or
educational institutions. Hence, education can be divided into the following types:

Formal education: Formal education is the education that takes place in a structured
environment like a school or an education institution. Formal education begins at a very
young age and usually continues till college. In most cases, formal education is mandatory
till schools while higher education or education imparted in colleges is considered to be
optional. Formal education is imparted in schools or educational institutions on the basis of a
specific or formal curriculum. The main characteristic of formal education is that it is
imparted by qualified teachers or trainers who themselves have previously received formal
education. Formal education, however, is not limited to only what is taught in the classrooms
but also included activities outside the classroom. Nevertheless, these activities are
concerned with reinforcing what has been learnt in the classroom. Formal education lays
down a strict and disciplined format of learning.

Vocational education: Vocational education is imparted to teach a specific art or skill. It is

based on practical training and may be imparted in a formal or an informal manner or a
combination of both.

Special education: Special education is education imparted to those who are disabled in
some form or the other. The disabled have special education needs and cannot learn using
the normal methods and formats of teaching. Therefore, they need to be taught using
special tools and techniques and, therefore, education imparted to them is referred to as
special education. Special education focuses on giving instructions to the disabled in a
manner An Ove that would enable them to learn and develop functional skills.

Informal education: Informal education is knowledge that one learns spontaneously. There
is no conscious effort involved in learning when it comes to informal education. One can
learn by observing others, by listening to others or by just conversing with someone.
Informal education is not imparted in formal educational institutions and can be learnt
anywhere. There is no prescribed curriculum for informal education. Informal education 'the
process, by which a person imbibes attitudes, develops skills, cultivates values and acquires
knowledge, without there being any organization or system about it. This would include the
deliberate attempts of parents and elders in the family and community to help the young
ones grow and adapt themselves to the environment. Informal education would also include
all incidental learning that takes place while at work or at play and during travels-as well as
spontaneous learning through films, radio and television.'

Self-directed education: Self-directed education involves learning on one's own. Self-

directed education is basically self-study or education that a person acquires by observing
and reading resources in libraries or even on educational websites. Self-directed leaming
does not involve a formal educational structure and is also not imparted by teachers or
trainers. This type of education is a conscious effort by the learner and may sometimes
require the learner to interact with others to acquire the required knowledge.

K-12 education system is the most widely accepted education system across the globe,
especially, in countries like the India, the United States of America (USA) and Canada. The K-
12 education system is different from the conventional approach. to teaching especially in
terms of the student- teacher interaction. This education system covers education from
kindergarten to class 12. The K-12 system has its premise in the fact that it allows for a lot of
student-teacher interaction with the teacher encouraging question-answer sessions and
assignments to encourage learning among children. The teaching method of this system is
different from the conventional approach wherein the teacher was responsible for making
the students learn. In the K-12 system, the teacher encourages the child to learn on his own
by practically. applying the concepts being taught by the teacher. The teacher acts as a guide
rather than a trainer. One of the main features of this system of education is that for every
concept that the students learn, they are encouraged to add value to the concept in terms of
their personal views and ideas and, thus, the system encourages value-based education as
well. The content and learning resources of the K-12 system are created in a manner which
facilitates self- learning and development with little reliance on the teachers. This, however,
does not mean that there is no classroom activity. The teachers do teach in the classroom
but in a manner which enables the students to learn on their own which enables them to
develop life skills, practical skills as well as learning abilities.

The aim of the K-12 education system is to develop students into self-reliable and
independent individuals. The system encourages optimum learning through various
resources that it has to offer. Optimum learning does not include only curriculum teaching
but also enables the students to develop other skills as well that are essential for life.

ROLE OF GUIDANCE IN EDUCATION

Education

Guidance and education are closely related as both of them are concerned with the welfare
of the individual and the society. The students, the teacher and the parent must understand
the developmental characteristics and their impact on adjustment ability and decision-
making competency.

Guidance as a movement within the larger field of education has succeeded in focussing the
attention of teachers, administrators and parents on the wide range of individual differences
among pupils and on the respect for the individual. It has also made a valuable contribution
in directing the attention to a careful study of the individual and initiating a cooperative
relationship between the school and the community.

In the last 40 years, some changes have been taking place in the traditional teacher-centred
instructional methods. New instructional technology is fast emerging with its emphasis on
individualization programmed instruction, personalized system of instruction discovery and
inquiry methods in which the learner actively participates, are being tried out in some
universities in our country. The role of the teacher is to assist the pupils to understand the
ends and to accept them. Assistance so directed is guidance. Whenever in the learning
process, the teacher assists the student to choose, the element of guidance is present but
when the teacher selects the method, it is teaching. Thus, we can say that teaching conceived
of as assisting the learner to choose ends or methods is guidance.

Curriculum

Curriculum is the accumulated experiences of the race which are transferred to the pupils in
a planned way within the school or outside the school to shape their behaviour in such a way
that they may prove useful citizens of the country. It is an instrument in the hands of the
teacher which moulds the character of the pupils to enable them to achieve the aims of
education. Curriculum may be defined as the planned activities engaged in by pupils to
induct them into society.

There are two major ways that guidance contributes to curriculum development. In the first
instance the needs of individual and groups for curricular activities may become visible
through counselling, testing, follow-up and other guidance activities. Counsellors can be
instrumental in providing curriculum experts with data that describes the students ability,
range of achievements and strengths and weaknesses, interests, problems, educational
objectives and other characteristics that are essential for curriculum development. In
curriculum planning needs of students help to establish priorities. In the second instance,
counsellors help the students to understand and choose curricular offering best suited to
develop social and vocational competencies necessary for effective living in a complex
society.

Discipline

From the point of view of guidance discipline is most often conceived as a means of
correcting the faults in the personality of the individual caused by frustration and
disappointment in achieving goals. Guidance provides assistance to such individuals by
making them understand the reality of the situation in the right perspective.

Guidance and discipline are closely related because students who misbehave are most in
need of counselling. Counsellors are needed to diagnose the problems of students and treat
them. As a matter of fact, the goal of discipline is self-direction or self-growth and the goal
of guidance is also self-development and self-direction. Counsellors can help the school
authorities, and parents to reduce the problems in the following ways. The counsellor, on the
basis of his data, can classify for teacher’s classroom activities that will help in minimizing
problems of misbehaviour. He can also help teachers to identify as early as possible students
who may need help in future. He can also help students, teachers, parents and administrators
to establish codes of student conduct that are workable and acceptable.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 2

Organizing Guidance Services in Schools and Colleges

As discussed in the preceding pages, guidance has to be made an integral part of higher
education to make it meaningful and purposeful for the students. The kind of guidance
programme which may be introduced can be inherent (unintentional and unorganised),
informal (intentional but not coordinated), and professional (well-organised). There is no
doubt about this fact that inherent and informal programmes have their place in an
educational institution. But it needs hardly any emphasis that a programme, if it is to make
its impact felt on the growth and development of students and enhance the quantity and
improve the quality of the educational program me as a whole, there needs to be set up a
well-organised structure covering the three major functions of the programme viz.,
adjustmental, orientational and developmental. It is true that a structure never guarantees
the success of an operation, but there is no doubt that a poor structure can be a major
obstacle to success. It is desirable that the upcoming universities and colleges build this
provision into their organisational structure at the planning stage itself and the old
universities and colleges suitably add this provision into their educational programme and
physical plan so that the students may avail of this service easily and profitably.

The Organisational set-up

A great variety of institutions for higher education exist in our country at present:

Colleges: Constituent and affiliated, on the campus and at a distance.

Universities: Unitary and constituent, with under graduates on the campus along with the
post-graduates or separate, large and complicated or small and uncomplicated, with or
without strong traditions, with or without past experience student guidance and counselling
programme.

For such a variety, it is not to be expected that any single pattern of organisation will fit all.
Different structures will have to be planned to suit different set-ups.

1. For constituent colleges on the campus: If the number of students on rolls is 1000, a
counselling officer assisted by the Guidance Committee can plan the programme according
to their needs and implement the same with the co-operation of the Deputy Chief of UEIGB
and Academic Adviser of SAB. If the number of students is less than 1,000, a Liaison officer
may be had. If the number of students exceeds 1000, an assistant counselling officer may be
appointed to assist the counselling officer. The Counselling officer may be appointed in the
Reader's scale, while the Assistant Counsellor may be appointed in the Lecturer's scale.
2. For affiliated colleges at a distance: If the number of students on rolls is 1000, a
counselling officer assisted by the Guidance Committee can plan the programme and
implement the same with the help of Vocational Guidance Officer. If the number of students
is less than 1000, a Liaison officer may be had. If the number of students exceeds 1000, an
assistant counselling officer may be appointed to assist the counselling officer for every 1000
students or part thereof.

3. Universities: Deans of Students, specially assisted by the Heads of Departments of

Psychology and Education, and the Guidance Committee with the Counselling Officer can
plan the programme and implement the same with the co-operation of the Deputy Chief of
UEIGB and Academic Advisor of SAB.

If the number of students exceeds 1000, assistant counselling officers may be appointed.
One assistant counselling officer may be had for every 1000 students. A part of these
counselling officers may be taken from student leaders on some aahoc remuneration or with
special rights and facilities including representation of different groups, or sections of
students.

The Counselling Officer in the university should be in the Reader's grade while the Assistant
Counselling Officer may be in the Lecturer's grade.

Each university should have a specialist coordinator of Guidance Services to help the
counselling officers or Liaison Officers in different colleges.

Essential Activities

1. Guidance and Counselling Committee: A Guidance and Counselling Committee should be

formed to serve in an advisory capacity or a policy making body for the programme. The
Committee can thrash out problems requiring group solution. It should plan monthly,
quarterly and yearly programme, co-ordinate guidance activities and assess the work done.

(The committee should consist of the Dean/Principal, Counselling/Liaison Officer, teachers

representing different points of view, academic disciplines, interests and basic philosophies,
student representatives, parents, Deputy Chief of UEIGB, Vocational Guidance Officer, etc.)

It is essential to determine the limits of responsibility of the guidance committee and identify
the specific role to be assumed by each faculty and staff member.

Clerical Assistance needs to be provided to the Counselling/Liaison officer as a methodically

organised guidance programme would require maintenance of a lot of record/information. It
may range from a part time to whole time assistant depending upon the load of work.

2. Counselling Centre: Every university and a large college should have a counselling centre
headed by a trained professional counselling officer who should be a Ph.D or possess
Master's degree in Psychology and Counselling, with considerable counselling experience.

The Centre should discharge the following functions:

1. give assistance to individuals and small groups of students and staff members with special
educational, vocational and personal problems;

2. give assistance to the university and constituent colleges in developing, advising and
counselling programmes and consultation on special psychological problems;

3. provide psychological testing facilities for the university both for individuals and groups;

4. carry on research on the development of testing procedures and experimental

programmes in counselling

5. help in the training of post-graduate students in counselling and testing.

It would be ideal if the Counselling Centre includes special clinics and laboratories for speech
and hearing problems, study skills and reading improvement.) The Centre should be situated
at a convenient place so as to facilitate the provisions of counselling services for the whole
university community, or at least the colleges in the immediate vicinity. If the counsellor
creates a reputation for integrity and confidentiality, it will become an active Centre; the
faculty members will refer students to it and students too would liketo visit it to get help in
their problems and anxieties. Counsellors can develop confidence in the Counselling Services
by meeting new students at the time of orientation, visiting the hostel and giving talks to
assemblies.

The Guidance Programme-Its Content

Below we give an outline of the desirable activities which could be taken up by a

Counselling/Liaison officer in a university or a college.

1. Educational Talks: Talks on educational topics should be arranged by the

Counselling/Liaison Officer. He himself or the members of the Guidance Committee or
some highly educated and experienced persons from the community or some
neighbouring institution may be invited to deliver such talks. Some suggestive themes
are adjustment with the institution, adjustment with peers, getting the best out of
college/ university education, studying effectively, preparatic; of notes, preparing and
taking examinations, utilisation of library ser vices, participation in co-curricular activities,
good work habits, entry and success in a job, taking an interview, living in hostels,
choosing your career.
2. Orientation Talks: These talks are meant to give adequate information to the students
regarding the courses of studies, the facilities available in the institution in the form of
libraries, laboratories, workshops, playgrounds, hobbies, teaching personnel, freeships,
fee concessions, stipends, scholarships, etc) The students should also be made familiar
with information about courses and careers open to graduates/post-graduates,
competitive examinations, correspondence courses, apprenticeship schemes, entry jobs
which could be taken up fresh from the college/university without experience, courses
and careers available abroad, changing occupational pattern, employment and
occupational trends, guidance agencies at different levels, etc.
3. Career Talks: Career talk means a talk about the details of a particular job. The talks may
be delivered on themes such as avenues open to graduates and post-graduates, self-
 employment schemes, government service, scope of employment, methods of
recruitment, discovering vocational interests and aptitudes, exploring vocations which
interest you, planning your vocational programme, etc. Talks on as many careers as
possible should be arranged. Every career expert should be provided with an outline of
the career talk at a much-advanced date so that he/she knows what to prepare.
4. Career Conferences: Career conference is a group activity organised for the purpose of
providing occupational information of a preliminary or supplementary nature to a large
number of students in a small or a big group. In a career conference, several speakers
belonging to different. professions come and deliver talks about their own fields to
groups of students. For example, a successful electronics engineer gives a talk on
electronics engineering as a career to a group of students interested in this branch of
engineering and a production engineer gives a talk to a group of students interested in
production engineering as a career, and so on. The conferences may be organised twice
a year.
5. Plant Tours: Visits to commercial establishments, industries, professional colleges,
research institutions, etc. should be arranged as these provide the students with direct
and first hand experience of the work done and the physical and social environment in
which it is done. To make the visit useful, the students should be prepared well in
advance so that they know what to observe, which questions to ask and how to behave
during the visit. A visit is more useful when followed by a group discussion in which
students talk about, what they have seen and exchange ideas. As many plant tours may
be arranged as possible depending upon the resources of the institution and the time
available.
6. Screening of films and film-strips: Film shows followed by group discussions are good
means of disseminating information. The film can be obtained on loan from various
agencies.

Role of the Principal

Recognizing the Needs of a Guidance Program

The principal, as the official responsible for the entire educational effort of a school or
system, must make sure that guidance needs are recognized and met. In different areas of
the country, among people of different backgrounds, the problems of children will differ.
Therefore, the organization of a good guidance program should begin with the study of the
problems and needs of the children in the school in which the guidance program is to
operate. The principal must not only recognize the need for a guidance program in the
school, but he must also make his staff aware of the needs and values of guidance.

Providing Facilities for Counselling

Strong administrative leadership is essential to insure proper guidance services and their
integration in the total educational process. There is no substitute for a principal who not
only knows how, but why and where guidance is moving. The principal has the responsibility
of providing guidance services that are included in the realistic basic planning of the school
system. It is vitally important for the requirements of effective guidance services to be held in
mind when the school plant is being planned and the budget apportioned. Each of the
various guidance activities requires its own appropriate materials, personnel, and facilities of
space and equipment. Such facilities must be planned in advance and provided for in the
budget. If individual counselling is to be an important school function, the school must
provide qualified counsellors with time and facilities in which to work efficiently. Counselling
is a moderately specialized service and cannot be carried on without sufficient funds.
Guidance must be respected in the school budget and in the selection and assignment of
personnel and must have a definite place in the school plant and in the organizational
structure.

Like the rest of the faculty, guidance workers need adequate school space, equipment, and
supplies in order to perform their specific duties. In providing for these facilities, the principal
should keep the following points in mind:

1. A private and comfortable place for interviewing.

2. Easy access to cumulative records.

3. A file for personnel folders.

4. Easy access to educational and occupational information files.

5. A room for testing and for small group conferences.

6. A storage space for tests and other materie.ls.

7. A phone, to call pupils parents, and community agencies.

Cost of Guidance Services

The "What?" and "Why?" of the guidance program are found in generous quantities in
professional literature. However, the specific information as to the actual cost is very hard to
locate either in hypothetical or factual con-text. The range of programs and services has
made it quite difficult to ascertain cost figures, but the guidance worker needs at least some
general guides if he is to fulfill his obligation to the administration for the acceptance of the
program.

Scheduling Guidance Services

In most schools, teachers and principals have full schedules. If the educational objectives of a
system are actually to be realized in the daily rush and routine of school, it is necessary for
the principal to allow ample time for counsel1ng in the daily schedule. There is no definite
answer to how much time is needed for counselling, but two hours of counselling time per
counselee per year is a fairly adequate program to get started. If there is more than one
counsellor in the school system, it is necessary to determine whether to arrange the schedule
so all the counsellors have a free period in common so that they may meet together, or
whether the schedule should be staggered so that a counsellor would be available each hour
of the day. Interviews should be scheduled far enough in advance to permit the counsellor to
have time to study the pupil's records and arrange to have the time free from interruption.
As a rule, those pupils who show a definite need should be scheduled first. But care should
be taken not to do this to the extent that the pupils get the idea that the guidance program
was Just for those who had misbehaved, who were obviously maladjusted, or who were
having trouble making their grades.

Guidance services should be co-ordinated throughout the school. In a well-organized

program, teachers, specialists, and principals work together to contribute to the welfare of
the pupils. The principal has the responsibility of making the staff cognizant of the values,
functions, end problems of the guidance services. The work of' any guidance program, no
matter how well provided with specialists, cannot be carried on effectively in the school
unless the entire faculty understands and sympathizes with the objectives of the program.
There must be an acceptance by the principal and staff of the guidance principles and there
must be effective participation in the program by all. In setting up the working machinery for
a guidance program, someone must take the initiative in getting the program started and in
keeping it going. This may be achieved best through a guidance committee, which helps
staff members develop a program out of their experiences in helping pupils.

Good guidance starts with a good principal-teacher relationship. If an improved guidance

program is being sought, the principal may appoint a guidance committee to study the
school's guidance needs. The principal may arrange for a resource person to work with this
committee. This resource person may be a psychologist or guidance specialist from the
school staff, a psychologist or specialist from e. nearby college, or an appropriate member of
the state department of education. The resource person should be at the meetings only
when it is discovered that questions have come up which only this person can answer. It is
extremely important that the program the committee recommends is the committee's
program, not the resource person's. When the committee has finished their
recommendations, it is the principal's responsibility for carrying out these recommendations
to the best of his ability

Record-Keeping

A cumulative record form may have been selected with utmost care but becomes a clerical
monstrosity if the staff makes mechanical entries with little or no insight into the
meaningfulness of the information. To offset this possibility, several administrative problems
must be met and adequate answers found. Although the principal may not be directly
concerned with keeping cumulative records or collecting and recording data, s/he should
nevertheless be concerned with the procedures and problems involved. The administrative
problems to be solved in the maintenance of the cumulative record may be divided into the
following five groups:

l. Problems related to collecting and recording pertinent information.

2. Problems related to entering, screening and summarizing information.

3. Problems related to the proper storing of records.

4. Problems related to increasing staff interest in the records.

5. Problems related to filing and transferring inactive records.

Some of the most important data for the cumulative record in which the principal is very
interested is collected automatically in the regular routine of the school day. Such
information as attendance records or basic information pertaining to pupil identification
must be readily available in the schools. Other information requires special forms and
activities if it is to be obtained. Plan must be devised to collect and record data such as the
family history, home environment, test scores, relationships with others, reports of behaviour,
and out-of-school activities. Screening of information should include periodic checks to see
whether the information collected includes strengths as well as weaknesses about each pupil.

Entering information from grade reports may be transferred to the cumulative record quite
effectively by clerical employees. Anecdotal records, autobiographies, sociometric tables, and
similar information require filing only and may be done by the staff member responsible for
the supervision of the pupil’s record. Test information and more confidential information
requires more careful handling end should be entered by the individual assigned the
supervision of the individual student's record. The principal must assume the responsibility
to review the limits within which staff members may use pupil information without fear of
libel or slander suits.

A cumulative record that is started in the elementary school should be transferred to the
Junior high school, the senior high school, and to the community college if one is a part of
the same district. This type of transfer service of guidance records eliminates the duplication
necessary to start another record and makes the record a cumulative record in a literal sense.

The disposition of the cumulative record of the graduate or drop-out usually poses a storage
problem for the school district. The principal must develop appropriate policies for filing the
records of terminal students. Most of the inquiries that require referral to the cumulative
record accrue during the first ten years after a pupil leaves school. At the end of this ten-year
period the entire folder may be destroyed. If administrative records have not been kept, the
administrative information should be transferred to a small file card.

Qualifications of Guidance Personnel

The success or failure of a particular organizational plan will depend very definitely on the
personnel available to carry through the responsibilities. It is therefore most important that
these individuals be carefully selected and employed as educators qualified for such duties.
The qualifications for all personnel applying for a guidance position should be studied
carefully. The candidate's ability to get along with students as well as with the members of
the staff should come high on the list of qualifications. Counsellors should be certified as
teachers and should have had several years of successful teaching experience at the level
where counselling is to ts.ke place before being considered for appointment. The minimal
preparation should be a Master's degree in a programme of counsellor preparation. This
should include courses such as or similar to: Principles and Practices of Guidance Services;
Counselling Techniques; Occupational and Educational Information; Psychological Tests and
Testing; Mental Hygiene; Individual Differences; Exceptional Children; etc.
In addition to the responsibility of hiring the right teachers or counsellors, other school
personnel are involved in guidance efforts and must be selected carefully; the school nurse,
who is responsible for the physical welfare of the students; the school doctor, who serves as
a medical consultant and examines students; the school psychologist; the social worker; and
the welfare worker. It is important for the principal to remember in recommending the hiring
of personnel to the board, that to have an effective guidance program, the staff must be able
to work together. Only when the members respect each other, under-stand what they can
expect from each other, and play an active role in defining policies, will they cooperate in
providing the most effective services. Throughout guidance activities, from the teacher
working with his class to the principal working with his staff, effective relationships are
needed to make the guidance program run smoothly. Both the principal and the staff must
assume responsibility for building these relationships.

Utilizing Community Resources

Another vast area of responsibility to the principal is that of recognizing community

resources and utilizing them. In most communities there are other resources outside the
school which off er various types of assistance and opportunity to young people. Such
resources are:

 medical and health services;

 sources of financial and welfare assistance;
 community efforts to provide social and recreational centres, community dances and
playground activities, and community theatres;
 sources or part-time and full-time employment, such as vocational counselling
centres and placement services

The various organizations and individuals offer a variety or assistance with practices perhaps
changing from community to community. Both youth-serving organizations and adult
service groups may be involved, with the former being composed of elementary school
children and. the latter of adults who help youth. There are many ways of helping young
people through non-professional individuals and by using miscellaneous and combined
resources. At this point there is also a vital need for a good school and community public
relations. It is a means for bringing school end community into closer relationship, and is not
primarily for promoting some favoured project. It is through publicity that the community
comes to understand and support the objectives of the schools in their midst.

In-service Training

Regardless of how well a guidance program is organized and how successful it seems to be,
the principal should realize that in order to keep this well balanced program in progress, he
needs to encourage members to continually improve their ideas, methods, etc. There are
many ways to do this, such as:

1. Extension courses in guidance.

2. Attendance at summer schools.

3. Guidance workshops.

4. Staff meetings.

5. Observation of guidance plans at work.

6. Current literature on guidance through newspapers and magazines.

The staff of a school must have reached a point in their thinking and planning where there is
an expressed need for further training in the skills, knowledge, and philosophy underlying
sound guidance practices. If this situation does not exist, it may be necessary for the
principal to inaugurate steps to help teachers become more aware of their lack of certain
competencies. In any guidance program, in-service training is essential to the effective
development of the program. The principal should help plan, promote, and assist in the in-
service training of the staff, both on-the-job and during summer sessions. An in-service
training program can be one of the surest means of bringing about a desired cooperation in
and understanding of the program. Such training is essential to improve the abilities of those
who carry specific responsibilities in the program. It will give new understandings and
increased skills in the techniques of the guidance services to all the members of the staff.

Experiences in the past have demonstrated that teachers and counsellors often resent what
they consider the added burden of in-service training. An announcement by the principal
that this is a year in which the staff will work on guidance problems seldom is welcomed with
enthusiasm. Because of this situation, preliminary steps need to be taken by the principal to
insure at least a degree of readiness for in-service training. Forms and methods for providing
in-service training should be varied and adapted to the needs of the participants. Starting
with a carefully planned program, the methods may include one or more of the following:

1. Use of inspirational speakers.

2. Faculty and group meetings.

3. Spontaneous meetings of groups of teachers with specific problems.

4. Use of professional libraries.

5. Bulletins.

6. Workshops.

7. Extension courses from colleges.

8. Demonstrations.

9. Non-academic work experiences.

10. Follow-up studies.

11. Surveying community agencies.

12. Group guidance experienoes.

13. Parent contribution.

14. Outside consultants.

There needs to be a development of common under-standing among teachers of differing

philosophies regarding the value of a guidance program. The type of in-service training
needed in many cases is that in which the principal keeps himself available to the staff for
group discussions. One period each week should be reserved exclusively for group
conferences with teachers. The composition of these teacher groups should consist of those
teachers having common planning periods. These small groups could become ideal working
committees for recognizing school problems. Out of these informal groups may emerge a
common philosophy regarding the problems of a guidance program.

Role of the Counsellor or Guidance Worker

Counsellor's Functions

In the preceding paragraphs we saw that students, administrators and parents have different
attitudes as regards the role of the counsellor. Some of the counsellor's functions will be
reviewed here. Wrenn has prescribed the following functions:

1. Counselling. This includes counselling with students on matter of self-understanding,

decision-making, and planning, using both the interview and group situations.

2. Counselling with staff and parents on questions of students’ understanding and

management

3. Studying changes in the character of student population and making a continuous

interpretation of this information.

4. Performing liaison functions between the school and community.

The following ten functions have been described by the American School Counsellor
Association in 1964 for School Counsellor:

1. Planning and development of the guidance programme. It is the basic responsibility of the
counsellor to plan the various activities involved in guidance programme. 2. Counselling. The
counsellor shows concern for educational problems of the students and attempts to solve
their problems.

3. Pupil appraisal. The counsellor collects data about individual students through non-test
technique vocational and personal and test techniques.

4. Educational and occupational planning. The counsellor aid the students in self-evaluation,
self-understanding enabling them to make decision consistent with their immediate and
long range educational goals. 5. Referral work. The counsellor also helps the students to
acquire a better understanding of the world of work in the community.

6. Placement.

7. Parent help.
8. Staff counselling. The counsellor works with all members of the school staff by providing
appropriate information, materials and consultative assistance in supporting teacher efforts
better to understand the individuality of each pupil. He contributes to curriculum
development and cooperates with administrators and teachers in the refinement of methods
for individualized learning.

9. Local research. He conducts researches in the local communities in order to find out the
needs of the community.

10. Public relations. The counsellor holds conferences with parents or guardians about the
students' growth and development.

He provides the parents with accurate information about educational and career
opportunities. He assists the parent/guardian in forming realistic perceptions of the students
aptitudes, abilities, interests and attitudes as related to educational and career planning,
academic achievement, personal and social development and total school progress.

Counsellor's Functions Related to Counselling

1. Assist the pupil to understand and accept himself as an individual, thereby making it
possible for the pupil to express and develop an awareness of his own ideas, feelings, values
and needs.

2. Furnishes personal and environmental information to the pupil as required regarding his
plans, choices or problems.

3. Seeks to develop in the pupil a greater ability to cope with and solve problems and an
increased competence in making decisions and plans for which he and his parents are
responsible.

Functions in Planning and Development

(a) Assists in defining the objectives of the programme.

(b) Assists in developing plans of action.

(c) Assists in continued guidance programme and development.

(d) Assists in identifying the guidance needs of pupils.

(e) Evaluates the programme.

(f) Assists other members of the staff in evaluating their own contributions to guidance
services.

Commission on Guidance in American Schools has suggested the following responsibilities

of the school counsellor:

(a) Counsels with students on matter of self-understanding, decision-making and planning,

using both the interview and group situations.
(b) Consults with staff and parents on questions of students understanding and
management.

(c) Studies change in the character of the student population and making a continuing
interpretation of this information available to school administration.

(d) Performs a liaison function between school and community counselling resources.

Role of the Teacher

The teacher can play an important role in making the guidance services more effective by
virtue of his being in close touch with the students. No doubt, to some extent every teacher
is a counsellor when he counsels students about the selection of courses, developing good
reading habits and suggesting remedies for the personal problems of the students but every
teacher is not supposed to be an effective counsellor. A teacher must bave some specific
qualities to be a good counsellor. Following are the characteristics and functions of a teacher
counsellor.

In our country, there is a lack of qualified counsellors. We can give orientation to our
teachers till we have qualified competent counsellors.

Role of the Teacher

The teacher's role is that of being a good teacher. This means that the teacher organizes
learning experiences first in terms of the abilities. and needs of the group, then within that
framework adapts instructional content, method and personal relationship to the optimum
learning potential of each youngster. Guidance services provide information about those
students who have some problems. The teacher plays an important role in the total guidance
programme. He contributes to and draws benefits from the programme of guidance. He
supplies the following information:

(a) The marks of the students indicating achievement in each subject.

(b) The report which includes any outstanding achievement of the student in and outside the
school.

(c) He can, on the basis of his observation and interaction with the students, report the cases
which need immediate help. The student with problems should be reported in the form of an
anecdote or note describing a list of behaviours of the student.

(d) The teacher can inform the students of educational and occupational opportunities
available in helping the child to plan his future career.

(e) The teacher can render invaluable aid by participating in case conferences.

(f) The teacher also has a definite duty in the counselling programme. His primary
responsibility is working with students who have problems related to learning in the
particular course. This may include individual contact. The teacher is the primary referral
agency. The student whose difficulties do not respond to classroom treatment is referred
with information to the counsellor.

S.K. Kochhar page 128, 129 ask Geetika Ma’am

CHAPTER 3

Counselling

What is counselling?

Counselling is a process of enabling the individual to know himself and his present and
possible future situations in order that he may make substantial contributions to the society
and to solve his own problems through a face-to-face personal relationship with the
counsellor.

Counselling is a learning-oriented process carried on in a social environment in which the

professionally competent counsellor attempts to assist the counsellee using appropriate
procedures to become a happy and productive member of the society by formulating
realistic and purposeful goals for total personal growth. Counselling is not just giving
information, or giving advice, suggestions and recommendations, even when requested for.

Counselling is, therefore, aimed at bringing about desired changes in the individual for self-
realisation providing assistance to solve problems through an intimate personal relationship

The objectives of counselling are to enable students to achieve positive mental health
resolve their problems improve personal effectiveness maximise individual freedom to
choose and act within the conditions imposed by the environment.

CHAPTER 4

Educational and Occupational Information