While the declaration of their class XI and XII results are in the offing, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken up an initiative to map the guidance and counselling services available across all their affiliated schools for which, they have sent a circular asking these schools to fill up a questionnaire regarding the same.
Calling the mapping a welcome move, S. Namasivayam, Senior Principal of Maharishi Vidya Mandir said counsellors in schools were an absolute necessity.
“Most CBSE schools in the city have complied with the rule and our school has two fulltime counsellors as well. Apart from identifying and helping children with learning difficulties as well as other issues, remedial action is taken by them,” he said, and stated that they would be available to talk to the school students ahead of the declaration of results during the end of May.
Another school principal from the city stated that while many schools did have counsellors, they should also ensure that their numbers are in proportion to the number of students.
“If there is only one person, it becomes impossible for them to look at over 3,000 students or so. There also needs to be a proper contact established in the schools which already have counsellors between them and the parents,” she said.
The CBSE had made it mandatory for all schools to have counsellors in 2014. This was apart from the counselling services, including telephonic and online counselling, which the board provides, both pre-exam and post-result.
The circular said that the exercise would be carried out to gauge the need and scope of support services available across the schools as social, interpersonal, physical and emotional problems which the students go through need to be resolved.
