Dharamshala: The Department of Education, CTA organized a webinar-based workshop to orient School Principals, Education Officers and Counselors on the new Counseling Guideline from September 15 to 18, 2020.
The aim of the orientation workshop is to create awareness on the counseling guideline and also to educate on the significant role of school counselors as a team in creating a happy learning environment in the schools. Through this workshop, the DOE also hopes to support the Principals in accepting the new norms of having a new team as a School counselor in the school setting.
The first segment which is the first two days of the workshop was dedicated for the School Principals and the second segment was for the School Counselors.
Dr. Jitendra Nagpal, Psychiatrist and Senior Consultant, Moolchand Hospital and also Director of the Expressions India – an NGO, addressed the keynote speech where he commended the Department of Education, CTA for mainstreaming the Counseling program in the School from outreach and lauded the efforts towards implementing a comprehensive Guidance & Counseling services in the schools under Department of Education, CTA. He further said that he was impressed and “had discussed the initiative with the CBSE and NCERT members”. He has also highlighted the important role of school leadership in creating positive learning environment & leading all stakeholders together.
Mrs. Rekha Chauhan, Senior Psychologist and Education Specialist was the consultant who prepared the Counseling Guideline for the Department of Education facilitated this workshop. The topics covered for both school heads and counselors were – 21st Century skills to understand, accept, manage & enhance self (Understand the Development of Identity, Empowering the Peer Leadership, Life skills approach for holistic development); Positive Mental Health & Emerging Concerns of Adolescents (Preventing High Risk Behaviour during adolescence viz aggression, substance abuse & bullying including cyber etc); Involvement of Stakeholders for Positive Environment; Role & Responsibilities of School Counselors; Ethics in School Counseling; Role of Special Educator; Aims & Objectives, Purpose, 3 Level Interventions of the Counseling Guideline; Art as a Therapeutic Tool (Activity Happy Vessel & Application of Art Therapy in school); Informal Assessment Tools (Draw a Person Test); Career Orientation, Aptitude Testing Tool (Administration, Scoring & Interpretation).
Dr. Jitendra Nagpal, the Senior Consultant, for the development of the Counseling Guideline gave the valedictory speech where he emphasized that school counselors need to be more proactive and work in team and collaboration with the school Principals, teachers and non- teaching staff for the well being of the students at the core of the program. With the implementation of the Guideline, a new beginning has started and appreciates the initiative of the Department of Education and lets all work towards successful implementation of it. He further advised all to work hard and celebrate togetherness, growth and excellence.
Ms. Donkar Wangmo, Chief Counselor, on behalf of the Department of Education, CTA thanked the Resource Persons for facilitating the workshop so professionally and the donors for their financial support without which it is not feasible and of course, the participants for their co-operation and support in making it successful.
The methods used are presentation, lecture, case studies, group work, activity-based learning and discussion etc.
There were a total of 46 participants including 18 school principals, 3 education officers & 23 school counselors from TCV, THF, SLF (Nepal & STSS) who participated in the workshop except two principals who couldn’t attend due to official reasons.
This was funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
-Filed by Department of Education
