Page 64 - DEDU502_GUIDANCE_AND_COUNSELING_ENGLISH

Guidance and Counseling

Notes Functions of Guidance at the Higher Secondary Stage : The secondary stage is the terminal stage
and it is here that the nation wants to send at least 50% of the student population to vocational
and the rest to the colleges.
If this national policy has to be worked out, guidance at the secondary stage is a ‘must’. The
following are the functions of educational guidance at this stage.
(i) Helping Students in Making Educational Choices : Students have to be guided as to suitable
course and curricula in keeping with their abilities and interests.
(ii) Helping Students in Making Educational Plans and Making Progress in them : Educational
plans are made with the consideration to the occupation one would like to choose, the
capacities one has, and the responsibilities one will have to shoulder in future. Secondary
education has a dual role to play : (a) preparing boys and girls for the pursuit of higher
education, (b) equipping them to enter life confidently and earn their living. Guidance
helps in this.
(iii) Helping Students in Making Optimum Development : Optimum development means that
stage of maturity when the individual gains the ability of self guidance. Guidance gives that
ability to individual student through counseling.
The reaching of this stage requires understanding of the self and that of the school environment.
Educational guidance help each student in the identification of mental ability, interests, aptitudes
and in the development of those abilities. The student knows his strengths and weaknesses and
tries to do the academic work at the level of his ability. He gets through guidance the knowledge
of the educational opportunities and their requirements and makes realistic educational plans
based on the consideration of releveant facts.
6.6.1 Provision of a Special method of Education for the Backward Child
One specific aspect of educational guidance is the guidance concerning backward children. This
category includes children who usually fail at examination, or show signs of indiscipline, running
away from school, juvenile delinquency, or other defects of such nature. Backwardness is education
can be caused by personal causes as well as by the method of teaching or external factors. The
advisor must be able to gather all possible relevant information regarding the backward child
whom he is called upon to guide. In this besides getting hold of the cumulative record and
guardian’s schedule, or the self-inventory it is necessary to gather information from the parents
and teachers. It is only one he basis of such information that any advice for the solution of
educational problems can be given. In case a child is intellectually of a lower level or suffers
from some mental defect, then he requires a special curriculum and a special method of teaching
to suit his needs. Psychologists can advise on this matter also. If it is observed that the backward
child fails to show any progress despite persistent effort then he would be best advised to go into
some technical profession requiring training rather than mental acumen. If the child’s backwardness
is due to family conditions or the school environment then the psychologist should advise his
parents and teachers. Sometimes backwardness can be the results of some mental disease. In such
a case the child stands in need of medical treatment rather than guidance. Briefly, the psychologist
and the adviser must individually consider the case of each child and give private and separate
advice to each patient.

6.6.2 Provision of special Educational Programmes for the Gifted Children
While backward children require guidance and care, the unusually gifted childen also require a
special educational arrangement as otherwise there is fear of their falling into bad activities. The
psychologist discoverse such exceptional children, gathers all available information regarding
them and guides their parents and teachers as to the manner in which the child should be treated.
Guidance of such cases more usually concerns suggestions for some special extra-curricular
programmes that can help the child develop properly and in accordance with his special gifts.

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