Organizing Guidance Services in Schools: Need, Principles and Limitations

 

Organizing Guidance Services in Schools: Need, Principles and Limitations

Need for organizing guidance services in Schools:

(i) It helps the teachers to take care of the abilities of each student in different directions in different degrees.

(ii) It helps the students and their parents to make correct and appropriate career plans for the future.

(iii) It helps in understanding the physical, social, emotional and intellectual characteristics and needs of the pupils.

(iv) It promotes efficiency in providing necessary reliable and scientific data on students.

(v) It provides the children with the knowledge to make satisfactory adjustments in the school and the community.

(vi) A well organized guidance program saves time, money and effort.

 

(vii) It helps the students to find a suitable vocation or occupation.

(viii) It helps the teachers to understand the individual difference of children in different areas.

(ix) It can properly utilize the skill, training, knowledge, ability and interest of the staff members of the school.

(x) It co-ordinates the work of all persons engaged in the guidance programme.

(xi) It makes proper use of community resources to ensure smooth organization of the guidance programme.

(xii) It helps the students to achieve self-development, self-direction and self-realization.

(xiii) It considers the activities and functions of the personnel engaged in the guidance services of the school.

(xiv) It helps in developing good human relations.

 

Principles of Organizing Guidance Services in Schools:

The principles for organizing guidance services in schools are as follows:

(i) Guidance services should be available to all categories of students.

(ii) The organization of any kind of guidance programme- should be educational, vocational and personal according to the interests, needs and objectives of the students.

(iii) The guidance service should consider the total environment of the child while organizing guidance program for him.

(iv) The guidance program may differ from an agricultural school to an industrial school.

(v) The guidance services should deal with the pupil in his totality.

(vi) It should also cater to the specific needs and problems of the pupil.

 

(vii) Adequate information should be collected regarding vocational and educational needs and opportunities.

(viii) Guidance services should co-operate with all agencies of education and provide leadership.

(ix) The problems of the students should be dealt with before they become serious.

(x) It should be directed towards improving the self-knowledge and self-direction of the pupils.

(xi) Adequate provision should be made in the guidance services for testing the equipment used in it.

(xii) In the organization of guidance services the interest and effort of each and every member of the staff should be given the highest priority.

(xiii) It should be as simple as possible.

Limitations of organizing guidance services in Schools:

 

1. Organization of any guidance services and programs in the school requires psychologists, counselors and career masters. But in reality most schools do not have such personnel. As a result there arises the possibility of failure of guidance program in its organization.

2. The guidance service program requires a number of infrastructural facilities such as suitable accommodation, equipment, seating arrangements, etc., which are considered quite essential for a guidance program in a school.

3. The policy of the government regarding the organization of guidance program in secondary schools is not specific, favorable and definite. As a result, it becomes difficult on the part of the school administration to program guidance for the betterment of the students.

4. Most of our secondary schools do not have any organized program of guidance.

5. For organization of school guidance services, psychological tests like- personality tests interest inventories, aptitude tests, attitude scales etc. and standardized achievement tests suitable for students are hardly available in most of the schools. Moreover, there are schools where these psychological tests and records are not available.

 

6. The teachers on whom the success of the school guidance service depends, do not have sufficient knowledge, skills and abilities to provide proper guidance to the students.

7. In most of the schools teachers are not trained in guidance and counseling programme.

8. The guidance service or program does not come under the purview of assessment or examination of the students. In other words, it has been said that as it is not an examable subject, naturally teachers are not inclined to do such work without any reward.

9. The teachers in our secondary schools are overburdened with their instructional work as a result of which they do not devote proper time to the said purpose.