Necessity Of Counselling Cells In Modern Educational System

We are social animals and, so, in one or the other way we depend on others for a satisfying and successful living. Due to the explosion of knowledge, globalization, industrialization, and revolution in the educational system, along with drastic changes in the socio-economic status, the need for professional guidance is felt in the present-day society and the education system. We are living in a phase through which life itself is manifested by its own events. People are juggling between their personal and professional lives and are in desperate search of a channel through which they could discharge their agony and negativity. Counselling, an emotional supporting hand, has emerged as an effective tool to aid the needy to homeostat their life.

Education, being a social institute, intends to achieve the fullest realization of possibilities inherent in an individual and fosters all aspects of an individual personality. Guidance through counselling, is essential for the overall development of an individual crossing pathways with the main objective of the education.

Students are equipped with resources, but they lack the ability to foresight their future and thus, live in a dilemma of what’s next for them. What is happening in their life? Where to go? What to do? Whom to rely on? All these perplexities can be effectively answered through efficient professional guidance through counselling. 

Though the Intelligence Quotient of the present generation is comparatively better, they certainly undergo psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, fear of failure, rejection, depression and many more.

According to the WHO, suicide is the second leading reason for death among the age group 15-29 and as per the data of NCRB, one student commits suicide every 30 minutes. India bears the world’s highest suicide rates among youngsters and the main reasons embody peer pressure, fear of failure, depression, unemployment and likewise. According to a recent report about one student commits suicide in every 55 minutes in India. In the past three years, more than 26,000 students have committed suicide due to stress, anxiety and depression. The rate of drug abuse and alcohol addiction is increasing rapidly among students.

In Asian countries, children are under extreme stress, trauma and anxiety due to examinations, led by peer pressure, wherein children are expected to perform better than their peers. Students are schooled to excel and be well-disciplined, as expected by teachers and parents, but it is also important to understand the child’s consent.

The Indian education system is regularly beneath the hammer for being competitive and focusing on quantitative learning, long school hours, heavy school bags and an improper curriculum. With this system, students tend to become less creative, innovative and leave no room for self-learning, which is the need of the hour.

Owing to large competition and the dearly-won education system, parents pressurize their children to perform well by loading them into a room with books, without access to electronic devices, internet connection and reduced time for sports and different outdoor activities, which would help them grow mentally and physically. 

This depresses children and burdens them with fulfilling expectations of their folks. Counselling helps in assisting the child in a proper direction so that he/she is aware of what he/she wants to do in life. It is crucial to have the students perceive the importance of education and guide them to pursue it. Now, it’s high time to introduce and incorporate counselling cells in all educational institutions to help students cope with, and overcome any psychological problems. Guidance through professional counselling must be regarded as an integral part of education and, it must serve all students and not just those who deviate from the norm in one direction or the other.

Venugopal N

Guest Author The author is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at IFIM College. He carries an educational qualification of MSc, MPhil, NET, DEd, PGDPA, Ph.D. with a work experience of 11 years in an academic background with a research area in Indian Psychology.