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Unit 4: Guidance Services: Concept and Importance

“The guidance process consists of a group of services to individuals to assist them in securing the Notes
knowledge and skills needed in making adequate choices, plans and interpretations essential to
satisfactory adjustments in a variety of areas”.

4.2 Types of Guidance Services

A school guidance programme largely consists of six services. They are orientation, counseling,
pupil inventory, occupational information, placement and follow-up services. Each of these services
are distinct due to their specific function.

4.2.1 Orientation Service
It is generally noticed that when students shift from one school to another, they find difficult to
immediately accept and adjust to the new surrounding. This also occurs in case of those students
who either move from school to college or school to a work situation. An entry into a non familiar
or new situation, may likely lead to certain adjustment problems among the students. To overcome
this obstacle, the orientation services are organised, especially to familiarise the students with the
new surroundings and thereby adapt themselves and make necessary adjustments. Hence, it is
always advisable to begin any educational course or programme with an orientation activity.
Some of the objectives of the orientation service are :
1. develop awareness regarding the rules and regulations, functioning patterns and available
infrastructural and physical facilities in the school or institution or work place.
2. acquaint the students with the concerned staff and also the student body.
3. provide opportunities for the staff members and student body to interact with the new comers.
4. develop favourable attitudes among the students both towards the school and the staff.
Further, this service needs to be organised for all students so that they fulfil their various needs. In
addition, this can also be a continuous activity, implying that implementation of these activities can
be distributed throughout the year.
Orientation Activities
The activities are to be organised based on the age group of the students and the availability of
resources.
The activities can be broadly classified as (i) Pre-admission Orientation and (ii) Post-admission
Orientation.
(i) Pre-admission Orientation : This is one of the, service which is lacking in our schools. It helps
to acquaint students with the Institution, its tradition, purpose, its rules and regulations,
curricula, extra curricular, activities, the staff and the student body.
Activities : Some of the suggested activities could be :
(a) visit to schools along with the staff or parents;
(b) arranging conferences and talks with the parents, since they also play a major role;
(c) issuing handbooks or pamphlets giving information about the school, its courses and activities;
and
(d) arranging exhibitions to expose them to the activities that students are undertaking.
(ii) Post-admission Orientation : This service can be provided throughout the year. It helps the
teacher in determining the abilities of students and there by adopt their teaching styles and
activities according to the student needs.

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