Chapter 30
Guidance Services in Schools
The Chapter at a Glance
Keeping pupils’ progress record.
The child guidance clinic.
An integral part of a school.
The
most important duty of any progressive school is the adequate provision of
guidance services for its students. A school that fails to provide such
services impairs the mental and physical health and efficiency of the students
very seriously.
A
school may provide guidance to its students through the teachers or through a
child guidance clinic. The teacher's guidance procedures are mainly dependent
upon the keeping of pupil's progress records. The clinic, however, employs
specialized guidance techniques. In an ideal school situation both work in
collaboration with each other.
Keeping Pupil's Progress Records
One
of the most common forms of providing guidance to students is through the
teachers who keep regular records of their scholastic, athletic, medical and
general progress at the school. On such records the teachers usually note
improvement or deterioration in their students' achievements. These records
enable them to offer the students appropriate suggestions and advice for
improvement, etc.
Methods of Keeping Progress Records
The
main methods of keeping pupils’ progress records are as follows:—
(a)
The Teacher's School Register.
(b)
The Principal's Office Records.
(c)
The Pupil's Cumulative Records.
All
these methods have been discussed in the preceding chapter. It has been
suggested therein that the cumulative record is
decidedly better than any other form of recording pupils' progress.
The
keeping of such detailed records might, however, consume a considerable amount
of a teacher's time. Consequently, maintenance of such records, though
extremely desirable, might not be possible at schools where teachers have heavy
teaching loads and an endless chain of routine general duties to perform.
The Progress Report
At
most of our schools teachers use the common type of Progress Report. It is
usually in the form of a small booklet with separate pages devoted to the
progress of the students mainly in the following fields:-
(a)
Academic achievement, giving details
of marks obtained positions in the class,
specific efficiencies
and deficiencies in various school
subjects, etc.
(b)
Record of health, showing the
findings of the usual general
medical check-up of
the students.
(c)
General remarks of the class teacher
regarding the character, conduct, habits,
etc. of the student.
Suggestions for Improvement
When
elaborate recording procedures are not available, such a simple method can also
serve quite a useful purpose in matters of pupil guidance. The teacher can, however, improve the Progress
Report system by keeping the following hints in view:—
(1)
Details Regarding Scholastic Achievement:
More details should be inserted in the Progress Report regarding a student's
academic progress. Mere mentioning of marks obtained by him in various
examinations etc. is not enough. Specific areas in which a pupil shows marked
educational ability or disability should be pointed out. This should be
followed by practical and positive suggestions as to the steps he can take to
make further improvement especially in the fields particularly mentioned in
the Report.
(2)
Information on Social and Athletic Activities
: Adequate provision should be made for the recording of following information
on the Progress Report:—
(a)
Record of pupil’s social activities, attitudes, etc.
(b)
Record of his athletic and recreational pursuits at the school.
In
this case, too, practical and encouraging suggestions should be offered for
improvement in social behavior and athletic proficiency.
(3)
Avoidance of Derogatory Remarks: As
has already been pointed out, the teacher should refrain from penning on these
records adverse, derogatory and negative remarks like: "shame,"
"conduct unsatisfactory", "very poor",
"hopeless", "incorrigible", etc.
It
has been found that such adverse remarks don't serve any useful purpose. On the
contrary, they rather prove injurious for the students in many ways. They tend
to discourage and dishearten them. They hammer all self-respect out of them and
undermine their social prestige.
Guidance Value of Teacher's Records: Records
of pupil's progress made by improved procedures can serve as very useful
guiding tools for the teachers. Such records provide the pupils with incentives
to improve in order to get more favorable and ego-satisfying remarks on their
reports. Care should, however, be taken to keep these records as objectively as
possible.
The Child Guidance Clinic
The
most organized way of providing guidance services at the school is by
establishing a child guidance clinic on its campus. A guidance clinic or centre
provides timely help or guidance to the children in meeting the problems of
their adjustment at school, home and in general life.
Types of Children Referred to a Clinic
A
number of school children often experience difficulties and problems in their
everyday life. An average school teacher often feels incapable of rendering
them any substantial guidance regarding these problems. Such children need to
be referred to a clinic for adequate guidance.
A
school can send the following categories of its children to a child guidance
clinic:—
(1)
Troublesome children.
(2)
Aggressive children.
(3)
Nervous children.
(4)
Delinquent children.
(5)
Scholastically handicapped children,
(6)
Mentally defective children,
(7)
Miscellaneous categories of children.
(1) Troublesome Children: A troublesome child is one who persistently
shows abnormal and annoying behavior. Some instances of troublesome behavior
are:
* restlessness,
* inattentiveness,
* laziness,
* carelessness,
* untidiness,
* irregularity, etc.
Such children need to be
referred to a guidance clinic because teachers feel puzzled as to how to handle
them effectively through the 'classical' methods of exhorting, scolding,
threatening, punishing, etc.
(2) Aggressive Children: Aggressive children are given to:
* temper tantrums,
* destructiveness,
* bullying,
* domineering,
* impertinence,
* defiance, etc.
If their aggressive and
pugnacious behavior becomes out of hand and impossible for a teacher to cure or
even understand, such children should be referred to the clinic for guidance.
(3) The Nervous Children: A nervous child is one who suffers from a
deep-seated feeling of inferiority, etc. This may express itself in fears,
enuresis, stuttering, stammering, shyness, isolation, introversion, phantasm
building, depressions and obsessions.
As
he is less annoying than the troublesome and aggressive children, a nervous
child is apt to escape the notice of the teacher. Nevertheless, he may be even
more in need of timely guidance and treatment at the clinic in order to prevent
nervous breakdown or mental diseases disturbing him during later years.
(4) Delinquent Children: Delinquent children are characterized by
anti-social behavior, e.g., lying, stealing, excessive fighting, sexual
perversions, etc. The imperative need of referring such children to a guidance
clinic is only too obvious.
(5) Scholastically Handicapped Children: Children who fail to keep pace
with the minimum educational standards of the class, repeat grades, obtain poor
marks in most of their examinations are called scholastically handicapped.
Their educational handicap might be duo to dullness, backwardness, or to a combination
of several factors.
If
left unguided and untreated the presence of such children in the class-room
seriously interferes with the normal academic work of the group. Scholastic
maladjustment also affects their mental and physical health very adversely.
They must be referred to a clinic for adequate guidance in order to overcome
their academic disability. An average teacher cannot be of much help to such
children because of his lack of specialized training in the art of diagnosing
and treating dullness and retardation, testing abilities and aptitudes and in
the techniques of remedial teaching.
(6) Mentally Defective Children: All those children who are below 70 in
I. Q. are known as mentally defective. Mental defectives need the guidance of a
psychological clinic because they cannot profit from ordinary school
instruction, howsoever simple and easy it might be.
(7) Miscellaneous Categories of Children: It may be remembered that a
guidance clinic does not deal exclusively with maladjusted, problem or deviant
children. Normal and average children can also be referred to it for guidance
regarding their general, mental, scholastic, emotional and social health
problems. Similarly, gifted children may also be referred to a clinic for
specialized guidance to enable them to exploit their exceptional talent to the
full.
In
fact, any child may be referred to a psychological clinic with a view to obtain
help and guidance regarding any specific or general aspect of his life.
The Staff of a Guidance Clinic
A
child guidance clinic is usually staffed by a number of trained personnel who
possess specialized training and experience in the theory and practice of
guidance. The main experts who usually work on the staff of an efficiently
organized clinic are as follows:—
(1) The Psychologist.
(2)
The Psychiatrist.
(3)
The Social Worker.
(4)
The Additional Specialist Staff.
(1) The Psychologist: He is usually the central figure in a guidance
clinic. The psychologist must hold a university degree in Psychology. He must
have special training in Clinical Psychology and intelligence testing.
Experience of handling problem children is very desirable. The psychologist
diagnoses the problem of the child referred to the clinic and outlines the
guidance or remedial program.
(2) The Psychiatrist: He is more or less as important as the
psychologist. He is essentially a medical man and usually holds a Diploma in
Psychological Medicine. He should possess practical experience of working in a
mental hospital or a psychiatric clinic. The psychiatrist attends to the
medical aspects of the cases referred to the clinic. He concentrates on finding
out whether or not any organic factor is involved in the problem of the child.
(3) The Social Worker: The social worker holds a diploma or degree in
social work. His job is to interview the child's parents, survey the home
conditions and report back all the relevant details to the clinic. He is also a
sort of liaison officer in the clinic and endeavors to create an atmosphere of
goodwill and co-operation among the clinic staff, the parents and the
teachers.
These were the essential members of the
staff of a guidance clinic. If sufficient finances and adequately trained
persons are not available one could manage without the psychiatrist. This cut
in the clinic staff, however, is a false economy. It is most liable to impair
the general efficiency of the clinical procedures very considerably.
It is customary with some clinics to
employ a qualified medical man instead of a psychiatrist.
(4) The Additional Specialist Staff: In addition to the above mentioned
staff some highly organized child guidance clinics employ the services of extra
specialist staff. Two prominent members of such a specialist staff are:—
(a)
The Speech Therapist.
(b)
The Play Therapist.
The
Speech Therapist is usually a trained expert having a mastery over the
physiology of speech organs and the psychological methods of diagnosing and
treating various speech disabilities.
The
Play Therapist possesses a good deal of knowledge of Developmental Psychology
and the theory and technique of play. He provides interesting playful
situations for the children at the clinic. He watches their behavior and modes
of handling various toys, etc. From a critical observation and interpretation
of the playful activities of children he gleans a great deal of information
about and insight into their problems. The useful information supplied by him
is also utilized by the psychologist in many ways in handling the child.
Ministerial and Menial Staff: Besides
the experts listed above a child guidance clinic also requires the services of
a number of office workers. Some of these are: the secretary who keeps the
records and files, the steno-typist who does the typing work, etc., and one or
two peons who do miscellaneous menial work.
The Building of the Clinic
Much
of the success of the clinic in dealing with children's problems depends upon
its building and equipment.
An
ideal clinic must have the following accommodation:—
(1)
Technical Staff Office: One room is
needed to house the office of the technical
staff.
(2)
Interview Room: One room is required
for interviewing the children, their
parents and teachers.
(3)
Waiting Room: One room is needed for
parents and teachers and other visitors
waiting for their turn when the clinic staff
is busy with other children.
(4)
Library-cum-Reading Room: Technical
books and journals on child guidance and
related subjects need to be housed in a
separate room.
(5)
Play-Room: This is needed to conduct
play therapy with children. If possible, it
should have a lawn
attached to it.
(6)
The Office: One room is needed to
house the secretarial establishment and
their paraphernalia.
Suitable
expansion or reduction can, however, be effected in these accommodation
requirements depending upon the economic resources and imagination of those who
sponsor the clinic. Thus, for instance, as an economy measure the interview
room, the waiting room and the library could be combined in one room.
The Equipment of a Clinic
As
for equipment, the materials that are needed to run a guidance clinic
efficiently are: case history sheets, tests, toys, animal pets, office
stationery, filing and cataloguing racks, computer, printer, etc.
The One Way Screen: In the advanced
guidance clinics of the world, One-Way Screens are also used. These are
mirrored partition screens from behind which observers can see without
themselves being seen. The One-Way Screen has proved very useful clinical
equipment for the observation of children's playful activities, attitudes,
etc., without letting them become conscious of the fact that they are being
observed.
Books
and Journals: Specialized books and journals especially on the following
subjects are also an important part of clinic equipment:—
(a)
Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
(b)
Child Development.
(c)
Guidance.
(d)
Testing.
(e)
Remedial Education.
The
quality and quantity of clinic equipment depends upon the availability of
appropriate funds and the mode of their expenditure. Attempts should be made to
spend funds allocated for these purposes in the most economical and intelligent
manner so as to get the maximum number of essential and first-rate items of
equipment for use in the clinic.
How the Clinic Works
The
major functions of a guidance clinic could be divided under two main heads as
follows:—
(1)
The Diagnostic Function: This is the
cause-finding work.
(2)
The Remedial Work: This is the main
guiding, treating, rehabilitating
work.
(1) The Diagnostic Measures: When a child is referred to a clinic for
guidance all the relevant clinic specialists get moving. The psychologist
interviews the child. He reconstructs his past and present History, tests his
intelligence, aptitude, etc. He endeavors to form an accurate picture of all
the causes that led to the maladjustment of the child.
The
psychiatrist probes into those medical factors which are supposed to have
affected the mental health of the child. The social worker supplies the picture
of the home conditions. The teacher's reports on the scholastic achievement of
the child are solicited.
In
the light of all these data the clinic staff reconstructs a composite picture of the child. This
enables them to arrive at a diagnosis or to determine the various causes which
are held responsible for the difficulties of the child.
(2) The Remedial Measures: When the diagnosis is completed, suitable
remedial measures are outlined and tried with the child. Some of these measures
are tried at the clinic, e.g., play therapy, group therapy, speech therapy,
etc. Others are tried at the school, e.g., remedial teaching, differential
treatment by the teacher, special education, participation in group playful
activities, etc. Still other remedial measures are recommended to the parents
to be tried with the child at home, e.g., better emotional attitudes towards
the child, giving him affection and security, etc.
The
clinic staff keeps a careful watch on the child's progress or deterioration
after the adoption of these remedial measures. Changes and amendments are being
continuously made in the light of the changing requirements of the individual
child
Whenever
necessary, guidance conferences are held at the clinic. At these conferences
the teachers and the parents, besides the clinic staff, gather together and
deliberate over the child's problems. They make a joint and co-operative effort
to make the guidance program adopted for the child a success. This they do by
making determined and repeated efforts at understanding and helping the child
in the spheres of their respective jurisdictions, i.e., the teacher at the
school, the parents at home and the guidance staff at the clinic.
Discharging the Case: After a few
visits to the clinic when the child shows some signs of improvement he is
re-examined. Fresh reports from parents and teachers are also solicited through
the agency of the social worker. If the clinic staff feel satisfied that the
child is no longer suffering on account of the particular problem for which he
was referred to the clinic, he is discharged.
Follow-up Records: In certain
exceptional and serious cases of problem behavior or maladjustment follow-up
records of the discharged cases are also maintained by the clinic. A follow-up
record is the systematic account of a child's condition even after he has been
discharged after a successful treatment at the clinic.
Further improvement,
deteriorations or relapses are carefully noted in such records.
A follow-up record serves many
useful purposes. Some of its significant functions are as follows:—
(a) It serves as a check for the clinic staff in
making an appraisal of the success or failure of their diagnosed and remedial
measures with a child; it thus improves their technical efficiency.
(b) It does an obvious service to the child as
well, in that he gets the continued attention and guidance of the clinic as a
precautionary measure against the possibility of a relapse.
(c) By maintaining a continued
observation and guidance of the child, it saves parents and teachers all the
trouble and anxiety that would have resulted had the child swerved again from
normal, adjusted behavior.
A
follow-up record is indeed a very useful clinical measure from all points of
view.
An Integral Part of a School
It
is a fact almost too obvious to need stating that a child guidance clinic is an
extremely useful institution. By its constructive educational methods it endeavors
to promote the cause of mental health and efficiency among children. It builds
up sound character and healthy personality by offering them timely guidance
regarding their problems and perplexities. It thus makes a very substantial
contribution to the development of the individual child, the family and the
entire nation.
As
a constructive social institution, a child guidance clinic should, therefore,
be an integral part of each progressive school in a modern welfare state.
