Model schools’ initiative charts new career paths for students

Focus is to reduce academic stress and create a positive outlook among youngsters towards life

The Telangana Model Schools has taken up an initiative that is proving to be a game changer for students coming from rural background without much guidance from parents at home.

The ‘My Choice, My Future Career Guidance’ (MCMF) programme has opened up new avenues for students to choose based on their innate capabilities and interests and a combination of both with professional guidance.

The programme conducted in model schools showcased that students are now able to choose their career path easily and confidently from a stage where they were confused or totally unaware of what next option they had. The broader objective of this was to reduce the stress related to academics and create a positive outlook among youngsters towards life.

B. Janardhan Reddy, Secretary, Education Department, who reviewed the performance, was made aware that students were encouraged to open up before counsellors who had identified their strengths and weaknesses and guided them on what better career option would be for them. Interestingly, the parents too were involved in the exercise where they were told about their wards’ interests in relation to their strengths and weaknesses.

A. Satyanarayana Reddy, Additional Director, Telangana State Model Schools, said that if a student had interest in one particular career domain, but he or she lacked the academic capability in that particular career domain, a detailed discussion with the student and parents were facilitated with the counsellor.

Mr. Satyanrayan Reddy said that career interest and personality strengths and areas for development of the student were identified through a psychometric test. Apart from academics and interest extra-curricular, co-curricular and competitive spirit of the students were also considered.

MCMF coordinators N. Seenaiah from model School in Bommala Ramaram, B. Paparao from Model School in Velimela, Sangareddy district, Sanjana, 10th class student from Jinnaram Model School and Akhila, 10th class students from Mallial Model School shared their experiences.