Career and behavioural counselling

WHEN THERE is career counselling, both the students (in school and college) as well as their parents baulk at the very idea of counselling. "What's wrong with me?" would be the first reaction of a student whose teacher suggests counselling. The parents of such a child too would be shocked and rebel against such advice from a teacher/ headmaster/principal. The fact is that, there is a stigma attached to counselling other than career counselling.

A slow learner may not be able to cope with a normal classroom pace. Therefore, the teacher might advise the students to bring their parents for discussion with a possibility of counselling/special attention like remedial teaching. The students put on a worried face and might not even inform their parents about the suggestion of the teacher. However, once the students are gently persuaded that there is nothing to fear about counselling, they might approach their parents. That is the first battle to be won towards counselling.

The parents are generally busy, with both of them working and they might not have paid any attention to their child. Once the request from a teacher regarding counselling is received, they might sit up and take notice that their child is not doing so well in studies. They might then decide that counselling could help to remedy the situation. It is not just slow-learners who might benefit from counselling. Those students who are habitually absent without even giving a valid excuse, and play truant should be counselled to find out whether it is peer pressure or bad company that is the cause of such a behaviour. The parents of such students might not even be aware that their child is absent from class. Then there are those mischief-makers who tease other students or cause a nuisance by talking or by other acts of indiscipline. The parents of such children be cautioned and the teacher should suggest counselling for the good of the student as well as the class itself. It is like isolating one bad apple lest the rest of the good apples get rotten. The teachers should keep a keen eye on those disturbed students to find out the cause for their behaviour. Some schools/colleges have professional counsellors, with a good educational background in psychology/psychiatry or social/behavioural sciences, and with working experience in the relevant field who could do a professional job for a fee. Others use the experienced teachers from among the staff members to counsel. While a professional counsellor, with his/her background, could do a better job of counselling, the teacher is in a favourable position as he/she interacts with the students day in and day out. A combination of teacher/counsellor could be ideal to take advantage of both systems.

The parent-teacher meeting is the ideal place to discuss the pros and cons of counselling. Unfortunately, only a few parents attend such a meeting due to various constraints. A circular to the parents might be another alternative. And lastly, the teacher/ class-teacher/ headmaster/ principal concerned might have to visit the homes of those students who definitely need counselling to persuade the parents that the time has come to send their child for counselling. The consequences of a laissez faire approach by the teacher and others might be serious, especially in those cases where the student is disturbed and could hurt himself/herself.

What is needed is a serious and honest attempt by the educational institutions to identify those students who would benefit by professional counselling. It should be equipped with the means to counsel problematic students in a professional manner either through own resources or outside consultants and professionals. When the school/college management approaches the parents of those students needing counselling, for the first time, it is quite possible they might get a firm "no" to such a proposal. However, it is the duty of the management to persist in its efforts to persuade the parents, lest the school/college gets a bad name due to untoward incidents within or outside premises. The good offices of friends and well-wishers of such students might be utilised to convince the students that counselling is good for them in the end. Any stigma attached to counselling should be removed by being open about it. The `normal' students should be sympathetic and supportive of those students needing counselling. The management should take the initiative in installing career/behavioural counselling as part of its infrastructure. It should convince the students and the parents about the advantages of counselling by removing any misgivings and being open about the system.

D.B.N. Murthy

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