The guidance and counselling of students is an integral component of the educational mission of the school. Guidance and counselling services and programs promote the personal/social, educational, and career development of all students. The major objective of counseling is to help individuals become self-sufficient, self-directed and to adjust themselves efficiently to the demands of a better and meaningful life. Whereas Guidance is concerned with development through adjustment. At Rayat Bahra School , we have Guidance and Counselling Programs to enhance learning by providing a suitable climate at school and at the same time to minimize the constricting and interfering factors.
At school, a variety of problems may arise in the minds of growing pupils. The problems fall into categories as Learning, preparation for Vocation and Inter personal Relations-
Learning Problems – The growing pupil becomes interested in a variety of things around him and come to devote undue attention to distractions. Consequently, he may perform poorly at school. Some people may have reading difficulties, their rate of reading may be slow and comprehension poor which may lead to loss of interest in studies, irregularity of attendance etc. Counsellors help the pupil gain insight into himself, understand his own problem and cooperate with the school authorities to overcome the problems and to promote academic excellence.
Problems Concerning with Vocational Future – The individual student at the completion of secondary school faces the question : “ What next” ? Most of young people do not have sufficient self-knowledge. The guidance counselor, by employing standard psychological instruments, assess the abilities, aptitudes, interests etc of the pupils and help the pupils gain greater self-understanding so that they know what they want to do. Ex- Career Workshops, Group Discussions. Problems of Interpersonal Relations- Another important concern of guidance is related to pupil’s personal growth and development. Owing to the natural growth process, pupils become more sensitive and self-conscious about their physical changes and experience emotional disturbances. Physical growth opens up a new world. The imbalance between physiological and psychological development leads to emotional difficulties. Counselors give them the required information, for self understanding and guidance.
Further, social development is also required as most of the pupils do not know how to behave in a group. They tend to be timid, shy, self -conscious and generally avoid meeting people. A few young people may be aggressive, ill-mannered and rude due to lack of social adjustment. Here counselors pay significant role in understating the pupils and to overcome these fears.
Parents/guardians fulfill a primary role in the lives of their children. Collaboration with parents in the best interest of students is a key activity of school counsellors. Hence the school counsellor develops a comprehensive, developmental guidance and counselling program with their school team to meet the needs for their context and specific school population.