HISTORY OF THE GUIDANCE MOVEMENT

Chapter 26

HISTORY OF THE GUIDANCE MOVEMENT

The Chapter at a Glance

Pre-modern guidance techniques.

Beginning of modern scientific guidance.

Historical developments in various countries.

          Guidance appears to be as old as the human race itself. The concept of guidance is deep-seated in the minds of mankind. The guidance programs of the ancient Greeks and Romans, apprenticeship in the middle ages, discipleship among the ancient Muslims and Hindus all suggest that guidance is not at all recent in origin.

          Since the days of Adam (AHS) and Hawa, mankind has been keenly alive to the necessity for helping and guiding one another. The need to guide children has been very acutely felt during all stages of human history. In the contemporary age such a realization has probably reached its apex.

Pre-Modern Guidance Techniques

          Scientific or psychological guidance, however, is of very recent origin. In older to understand this fact let us take a cursory glance at the history of developments in field of guidance.

Crude and Unscientific Guidance

          The history of guidance reveals that the pre-modern guid­ance procedures were mostly crude and unscientific. Such early guidance practices did not make any systematic and methodical attempt to base the manner of offering suggestions or the very content of those suggestions on an analysis of facts and figures.

          Pre-modern guidance techniques, for instance, made no attempt at understanding the capabilities and potentialities of the individuals who sought help. Guidance was mostly based on superstition, customs, traditions, conventions, mores, etc. In most, homes, schools and professions it depended on the absolute will of autocratic parents, authoritative teachers, and powerful masters.

Pseudo-Scientific Techniques

           In pre-scientific days, a number of unscientific and pseudo-scientific practices and procedures had gained currency in the field of guidance.  Some of these pseudo-scientific guidance techniques are: Astrology, Numerology, Palmistry, Graphology, Phrenology and Physiognomy. Instead of basing their suggestions and advices on a knowledge of the actual assets and liabilities of the guides, pre-modern guide relied on the stars, mathematical numbers the palm of the hand, handwriting, the shape of skull, the contours of the face, etc.

Beginnings of Modern Scientific Guidance

          The foundations of a scientific system of guidance were laid only in recent years. The contemporary century saw enligh­tening developments in the field of Experimental Psychology. To meet the growing requirement for measurement techniques in various sciences, elaborate statistical procedures were evolved. These developments served as bases for the evolution of a scientific system of guidance.

Role of Modern Psychology and Statistics

          Modern Psychology and Statistics have made it possible to formulate certain precise rules for judging, predicting and guiding human behavior. Developments in the field of aptitude analysis and testing have brought precision into the procedures for advising and selecting the right men for the right jobs.

          These and other contemporary developments have been largely responsible for the introduction of methodical and sys­tematic work in the field of guidance. Guidance is now ack­nowledged as a fairly reliable and extremely useful science.

Historical Developments in Various Countries

          The historical development of guidance in its various aspects that took place during the twentieth century in different parts of the globe offers an interesting field of study.

Developments in the U.S.A

          The unique distinction of taking the lead in the field of scientific guidance goes to the U.S.A. Pioneer work in various fields of guidance started much earlier in some American states than comparable work in the rest of the world.

          Pioneer American Psychological Clinics: The American work started with the inauguration in 1909 of a clinic in Chicago by William Healey. It was called the Chicago Juvenile Psycho­pathic Clinic. As the name implies it provided guidance and treatment exclusively to psychopathic children. This was the first psychological clinic of its kind in the whole of the world.

          Six years later in 1915 Professor Frank Parsons established another clinic at Boston. This was the first clinic in the history of guidance which provided guidance to all types of children and covered a wide range of problems. It also made special ar­rangements for the vocational guidance of children and young people.

          An Educational, Social and Cultural Movement: Soon after the establishment of these two pioneer clinics, a number of guidance clinics and centers rapidly came into being in various parts of the U. S. A. Improved guidance practices and tech­niques started gaining popularity among the American public. The fast spreading of a huge network of guidance clinics of different types and innumerable centers for the training of guidance personnel, an elaborate development of and refinement in guidance techniques and procedures and the quickly multiply­ing production of books, journals and periodicals on the subject are clear indications of the increasing popularity of guidance work in America.

          In fact, in America, guidance has by now assumed the shape of an educational, social and cultural movement. Modern American parents, teachers and members of the general public are now definitely guidance-minded.

Guidance Developments in Britain

          The first steps in this direction in Britain were taken about a decade later than the pioneer work was done in America.

          Pioneer British Guidance Clinics: In Britain, the history of guidance work starts with the establishment in 1920 of the renowned Tavistock Clinic in London. Crichton-Miller played the leading role in getting this clinics going.

          This was followed by the East London Child Guidance Clinic which came into being in 1927. Dr. Emmanuel Miller was the first director of this clinic. In 1928 the London Child Guidance Clinic went into operation. Dr. William Moodie, who directed this famous clinic, was a very capable psychologist. He had received his training and practical experience in guid­ance works in American guidance clinics and training centers.

          Training of Guidance Workers: The London Child Guidance Clinic also arranged for practical training in guidance work. Most of the British guidance workers who are engaged at the moment in practical work in various institutions, clinics and centers owe their training and experience to this historic clinic.

          Clinic for Delinquent Children: A few years ago a psychological clinic specializing in the understanding, guidance and treatment of delinquent children was started in London. This clinic is one of the most famous institutions of its kind of the world. It is run by the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency (I. S. T. D.). Besides offering practical guidance and treatment to maladjusted and delinquent children, the clinic offers opportunities for expert training for specialized guidance and reclamation work with delinquents. The clinic also issues a journal of its own known as the British Journal of Delinquency.

          Popularity of Guidance Work in Britain: Guidance-mindedness now dominates British schools and homes. In Britain today, several counseling centers, guidance clinics and bureaus have been established which are doing extremely useful work in various fields of guidance. In order to meet the ever-growing and diversified guidance needs of British children, guidance services and provisions are undergoing a rapid process of im­provement, refinement and expansion.

Developments in Other Western Countries

          A cursory glance at the developments in other Western countries like France, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, etc., reveals that the people in those parts of the world are rapidly becoming guidance-minded. In most of these countries adequate guidance services for the schools and for the general population are available in nearly every major town.

          It would be no exaggeration to say that the remarkable progress made during the present century by people in the West in the fields of education, sciences, arts and industry are to a great extent due to their proper organization and utilization of guidance services. These services in those countries are organ­ized on a democratic basis so that they are available to every individual irrespective of his caste or creed or socio-economic status.

Review of Developments in the East

          Contemporary Eastern people have been comparatively slow on the whole in evolving and applying scientific techniques and procedures of guidance.

          Under the patronage of UNESCO, an International Institute of Child Study has been established in Thailand at Bangkok. This institute is doing useful research and practical work in guidance and other allied fields.

          Other countries like Egypt, India, Pakistan and Ceylon have recently made some pioneer moves in the field of guidance. The guidance and the inspiration of various international agencies, especially UNESCO and W.H.O. and visiting guidance experts from foreign countries have proved immensely helpful in this direction.

          In Pakistan, for instance, a number of guidance clinics and centers have lately been established in various university towns, e.g., Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Dacca.

          Guidance Services in Lahore: Regular guidance services are now available in Lahore, for example, at the following guid­ance organizations:

(1)     The Child Guidance Clinic, Central Training College, Lahore.

(2)     The Child Guidance Centre, Lady Maclagan Training College for Women, Lahore.

(3)     The Psychological Government College, Lahore.

          All these guidance establishments enjoy the patronage of the West Pakistan Education Department (this book was published in 1962). They are staffed by young, enthusiastic, highly qualified and trained personnel, and are engaged in useful work, mostly of a pioneer nature in Pakistan in various fields of guidance.  

          First Training Course in Guidance: Recently the University of the Punjab introduced an optional paper on Guidance for B. Ed. Students.  It is hoped that such a step will become instrumental in stimulating the interest of prospective teachers and parents in the theory and practice of guidance.

          Education Commission's Emphasis on Guidance: More recently the Commission on National Education has highlighted the necessity of providing adequate guidance and counseling services to students at various stages of their development. In 1960 the Government appointed a committee of expert guidance workers under the chairmanship of the author in order to sug­gest suitable measures to implement the recommendations of the Education Commission in the field of guidance. Accordingly, an elaborate plan for the introduction of guidance services in all educational institutions has been prepared and is under con­sideration of the Government.

Magnitude of the Guidance Needs

          The foregoing historical review reveals that though some of the Eastern countries have, no doubt, made beginnings in the field of organizing guidance services for their younger genera­tion, at the moment, however, these services are mostly inade­quate from a technical point of view.

          Moreover, the magnitude of the guidance needs and the extent of the services actually available in most Eastern coun­tries are still utterly disproportionate. The situation demands immediate and continued attention of the experts. The guid­ance workers in the East, therefore, have a gigantic task ahead of them.