Department of Counseling:

1.     Hameed Ali Yahya K M(Principal)

2.    Bitty Devasia (Counselor)

Counseling

A school counselor is a member of the education team, and is someone who gives valuable assistance to students, helping them with their academic goals, their social and personal development, and with their career development. School Counselors are instrumental in furthering the purpose of the schools: to provide a setting for teaching, learning, and for the attainment of competence and confidence. School counselors work collaboratively with parents and teachers to decide on what action needs to be taken to address issues interfering with a student’s learning process.

The correspondence between social work values and the role of the school counselor is as shown below:

Social Work Values (applied to school environment)

3.    Each pupil is valued as an individual regardless of any unique characteristic.

4.    Each pupil should be allowed to share in the learning process.

5.    Individual differences (including differences in rate of learning) should be recognized; intervention should be aimed at supporting pupils’ education goals.

6.    Each child, regardless of race and socioeconomic characteristics, has a right to equal treatment in the school.

Services offered by School Counselor

• Individual counseling- The school counselor works with students on an individual basis to help meet the needs of a child.
• Small group counseling- The school counselor offers a wide range of small groups focusing on many topics.  Topics are decided by needs of students and vary based on need. Some examples of groups may include Divorce/separation, Grief/Loss, Self-esteem, Organization, Study Skills, Social Skills and friendship building.
• Classroom guidance lessons- The school counselor teaches lessons to classes on a regular basis.  There are three domains that school counselors focus on: personal/social, academic achievement, and career development.  

Role of Counselor:

• Help students understand and overcome social or behavioral problems through individual and group counseling
• Work with students to develop skills such as organization, time management, and effective study habits
• Help students set realistic academic and career goals and develop a plan to achieve them
• Evaluate students’ abilities and interests through aptitude assessments and interviews
• Develop strategies with teachers, administrators, and parents to help students succeed
• Teach classes on topics such as bullying, drug abuse, and planning for college or careers after graduation
• Identify and report possible cases of neglect or abuse
• Refer students and parents to resources outside the school for additional support

Special Education Needs (SEN)

• Behavior, Social and Emotional
• Sensory and Physical
• Medical conditions or health related disability
• Learning disabilities

Tasks that are not under the scope of School Counselor

• Testing or diagnosing or provide therapy
• Coerce a student to participate in individual or group counseling
• Handle discipline issues, take care of other subjects or take proxy classes
• Dictate/write/take test of the class during the absence of the teacher.
• Invigilation duty or sit with the student during any test.