Addressing Issues of Guidance Programme in Schools
1. Introduction
The Guidance Programme in schools is a comprehensive effort to assist students in achieving their fullest academic, personal, emotional, and career potential. While such programmes are fundamental for student development, their successful implementation is often hindered by various issues and challenges—especially in the Indian and Odisha-specific context.
Addressing these issues is essential for building a supportive and inclusive learning environment, especially in the light of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which calls for an emphasis on student wellness, life skills, and vocational preparedness.
2. Meaning of School Guidance Programme
A school guidance programme is a structured system of services designed to support students in resolving personal, educational, and vocational problems with the help of trained professionals or teachers.
It includes:
- Educational guidance
- Vocational guidance
- Personal/social guidance
- Counselling services
- Pupil inventory services
- Placement and follow-up services
These services aim to ensure a student's holistic development and successful integration into society.
3. Major Issues in Implementing Guidance Programmes in Schools
Let’s explore the key issues and problems faced by Indian and particularly Odisha schools while implementing guidance programmes:
A. Lack of Trained Personnel
Most schools do not have a trained school counsellor or guidance teacher.
Teachers often lack professional training in guidance, counselling, and psychological support.
There is no dedicated post for guidance personnel in many government schools.
B. Inadequate Infrastructure
No separate counselling rooms or private spaces to hold sessions.
Lack of assessment tools, student inventory forms, or psychological test kits.
No access to career libraries, occupational brochures, or online portals.
C. Heavy Teacher Workload
Teachers are overburdened with academic, administrative, and co-curricular responsibilities.
Guidance becomes a low-priority task, often left unattended or conducted irregularly.
D. Lack of Awareness among Stakeholders
Students, parents, and even school administrators are often unaware of the importance of guidance services.
Some believe counselling is only for “problematic” students, creating a stigma around it.
Parents may resist their child attending counselling due to social taboos or cultural misconceptions.
E. Lack of Financial and Policy Support
Insufficient funds allocated for:
Career guidance events
Teacher training
Purchase of materials
No fixed budget for guidance activities under regular school funding.
Absence of clear guidelines for implementing structured programmes.
F. Poor Record Keeping and Monitoring
No student tracking systems or pupil inventory records.
Absence of documentation hinders personalized intervention and follow-up.
Evaluation of guidance programme effectiveness is rare.
G. No Integration with Curriculum
Guidance is treated as an add-on, not embedded in the teaching-learning process.
Teachers are rarely trained to integrate guidance objectives into subjects (e.g., career awareness in science or stress management in language class).
Schools in rural Odisha suffer from even more acute problems—lack of counsellors, internet connectivity, and awareness.
Students in tribal or remote areas lack exposure to career options and life skill resources.
I. Gender and Social Barriers
Girls are often discouraged from seeking guidance or discussing personal issues.
Students from marginalized backgrounds may feel excluded or misunderstood.
Language barriers (e.g., tribal dialect vs. school language) also reduce effectiveness.
4. Strategies to Address the Issues in School Guidance Programmes
To overcome the above challenges, schools and authorities can adopt several practical strategies:
A. Capacity Building and Training
Regular in-service training for teachers on guidance and counselling basics.
Introduce certificate courses in guidance for interested teachers.
Partner with universities, SCERT, or NGOs for professional development
Ensure that all teacher training (B.Ed., D.El.Ed.) includes components on counselling and career guidance.
B. Appoint Trained Counsellors
Appoint at least one full-time counsellor per cluster of schools (in case individual schools cannot afford one).
Encourage shared counsellors or mobile guidance units in rural areas.
Provide UGC-recognized counselling degrees and promote recruitment drives for trained professionals.
C. Infrastructure Support
Create student support corners or wellness rooms in schools.
Ensure privacy for personal counselling sessions.
Provide basic resources like inventory forms, aptitude tests, career brochures, charts, and models.
D. Use of Technology
Use government portals like Diksha, e-Pathshala, National Career Services (NCS).
Create career guidance WhatsApp groups for students and parents.
Leverage low-cost apps or YouTube channels that offer career exploration and mental health support.
E. Sensitization and Awareness
Conduct awareness campaigns for parents and community members on the importance of guidance.
Organize orientation sessions for students and guardians.
Celebrate Guidance Week, Mental Health Day, etc., to normalize these conversations.
F. Integrating Guidance with Curriculum
Include life skill topics like time management, self-awareness, stress control, etc., in weekly activities.
Infuse career education into subjects (e.g., Environmental Science: green careers, Social Science: civil services).
Use co-curricular activities (e.g., essay writing, debates) to build career awareness and emotional intelligence.
G. Collaborations with External Agencies
Tie-up with:
Local colleges and industries for career talks
NGOs for life skill training and gender awareness
Health departments for adolescent counselling and wellness programmes
H. Monitoring and Evaluation
Develop a feedback system from students and teachers.
Keep regular records of:
Students counseled
Problems addressed
Progress made
Use student self-assessment tools to track growth in attitude, motivation, and behavior.
5. Role of the School Guidance Committee
Schools should form a Guidance Committee comprising:
|
Members |
Role |
|
Principal |
Head of planning and
supervision |
|
Guidance Teacher/Counsellor |
Executes
counselling and guidance services |
|
Senior Teachers |
Help identify student
needs |
|
Parent/Community Rep |
Brings
stakeholder perspective |
The committee can ensure that issues are identified, addressed, and improvements are made.
6. Government Initiatives to Support Guidance Programmes
NEP 2020 recommends psychological counselling and vocational education in school.
Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) promotes inclusive education and adolescent support programmes.
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) provides career guidance in secondary schools.
Kishori Shakti Yojana, RKSK, and Adolescent Health Programmes offer psychological and emotional support services.
7. Odisha-specific Recommendations
Appoint trained career and guidance counsellors in every block.
Translate guidance materials into Odia and tribal languages.
Launch an Odia online portal for school students covering:
- Career options
- Scholarships
- Mental health and exam stress
- Use radio and television programmes to reach rural and tribal students with guidance tips.
8. Conclusion
The success of guidance programmes in schools depends not only on policies but also on effective implementation, trained personnel, community participation, and institutional willpower.
By identifying the root causes of failure and implementing targeted strategies, schools can transform guidance services into powerful tools for student development.
In an increasingly complex society where children face emotional, academic, and career pressures, addressing the issues in guidance programmes is not optional—it is critical. Schools must rise to this challenge by creating safe, structured, and inclusive environments where every child receives the support they need to thrive.
No comments:
Post a Comment