Associate Professor

Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts

Apex Professional University

Pasighat  Arunachal Pradesh, India 

Student

Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts

Apex Professional University

Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract 

Every educational institution irrespective of type of management should appoint counsellors in order to assist students in solving their problems. Guidance and counselling services plays a very important role in student’s life. Embracing this truth, the present study has been taken into consideration. There were three counsellors drawn from private secondary schools and 40 each secondary school students were drawn from government and private secondary schools in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The sample was drawn by applying Stratified Random sampling technique. The study had used both Interview Schedule (2019) developed by Dr. Shadma Yasmin for the Counsellors and Attitude Scale on Guidance and Counselling Services (2022), a self developed tool by the investigators. The Analysis and interpretation of the collected data was done with the help of statistical techniques such as Mean, Standard deviation, percentage and t –test. The study resulted that there is no counsellor in Government secondary schools of East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh. 66.66 % of the counsellors in private secondary schools act as s a resource person for the students when they require some information which is not available in the schools and act as an enabler for the students/teachers whenever they are in need of services not available in the school. Likewise, 66.66% of them act as a link between school and home of students with problems. All the counsellors of private secondary schools are able to give adequate time out of working time to the counselling work. Generally half proportion of working time the counsellors spend on counselling to children. All the counsellors reported that they feel that the amount of time they spend on counselling services are sufficient. In addition, all the counsellors of private secondary schools keep the records of counselling services and 66.66% of them reported that the authorities genuinely check the records. The study also revealed that there exist no significant difference between the attitude of Female students of both Government and Private Secondary schools towards Guidance and Counselling Services. Likewise, there exists no significant difference between the attitude of Male students of both Government and Private Secondary schools towards Guidance and Counselling Services.

Keywords

Role, Counsellors, Secondary School, East Siang, Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Introduction

Arunachal Pradesh as a state is located in the Northeast of India. It constitutes a mountainous area in the extreme northeastern part of the country and it was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region and become a state on 20 February 1987. Arunachal Pradesh is India’s remotest state and the first Indian soil to greet the rising sun known as the Land of rising sun. Majority of its people belongs to the Adi community.

The academic performance of the government secondary school students in this district is average. Comparatively, private secondary schools are better in academic performance than the government secondary schools. Some of the previous studies in the district found that some of the schools are not providing any counseling services to the students. Students attend the classes, participate in some co-curricular activities and leave the school.

William defined that, “Counselling is a personalized and individualized process designed to aid the individual to learn school subject matter citizenship and other habits, skills, attitude and beliefs which go to make up a normally adjusted human being.” According to J.E. Smith Counselling is the process in which counsellor has a broad discussion related to counselee interest, planning and adjustment.” It is said that without counselling, guidance is meaningless. Counselling is considered as the relationship between two people which can be given through correspondence also. Counselling is the process which assists the student in knowing their skills, interests, personality etc. It also helps the student in their career selection.     

There are many studies conducted in the area of Guidance and Counselling such as evaluation of guidance and counselling services of the university student, problem behaviour and guidance and counselling needs among the adolescence student, assessment of guidance needs of college students developing a strategically aligned guidance and counselling package so and so forth. There was a study conducted on effectiveness of guidance and counselling service in government and private schools but there has been no study conducted on the role of counsellors in the secondary schools of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh. Due to this, the investigators thought appropriately of selecting this problem.

Review of related literature

Das (1990) conducted a study on the effect of group counselling intervention on the academic self-concept, achievement and schools adjustment. It followed experimental design where in the pre-test, post test double group experimental design was used. The study revealed that Group counselling was found to be an effective method for changing academic self concept which in turn, improve academic achievement and consequently improved school adjustment. Beauchemin & Kelly (2009) explained that because of much work of the counsellor is private they do their business behind back doors. The study suggested that the counsellor should no longer work from behind if they want to continue to live rat race professionalism. Nkechi, Ewomaoghene, & Egenti, (2016) concluded that guidance and counselling plays an important role in schools for the future success of children. Amat (2019) reported that most of the school counsellors were trained in special counselling training programme. They have bachelor’s degree in counselling field and even specialized further with Master’s. Those counsellors registered themselves with the Board of Counsellors to practice professionally.

Objectives of the study

1. To study the role of counsellors in the secondary schools of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.

2. To study the Management of Time for the Counselling Services by the Counsellors of Secondary Schools in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

3. To study the status of Record Maintenance by the Counsellors in the Secondary Schools of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.

4. To compare the Attitude of Female students in Government and Private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

5. To compare the Attitude of Male students in Government and Private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

Hypotheses of the study     

H0₁: There exists no significant difference between the Attitude of Female students in Govt. and private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

H0₂: There exists no significant difference between the Attitude of Male students in Govt. and private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

Methodology of the study

Method: The Normative Survey method of Educational Research.

Population: All the Students and Counsellors of the Secondary Schools in East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh.

Sample: With stratified random sampling technique, three Counsellors from private secondary schools and Eighty (80) students from both government and private secondary schools were selected for the sample.

Tools used:

The tools used in the present study were (1) Interview Schedule (2019) designed by Dr. Shadma Yasmin and (2) Attitude Scale on Guidance and Counselling Services (2022), developed by the investigators.

Statistical Analysis

The statistical techniques like percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test were applied to derive findings.

Analysis and Interpretation

Objective 1: To study the role of counsellors in the secondary schools of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.

Findings

Table 1. Role of the Counsellors in the secondary schools in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh

Interpretation: There is no appointment of counsellor in government secondary schools of East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh. 66.66 % of the counsellors in private secondary schools act as s a resource person for the students when they require some information which is not available in the schools. About 66.66% states that they act as an enabler for the students/teachers whenever they are in need of services not available in the school. Likewise, 66.66% of them claim to be acting as a link between school and home of students with problems. The entire counsellors support the staff member whenever they need help while dealing with a student facing problem. 

Objective 2: To study the Management of Time for the Counselling Services by the Counsellors of Secondary Schools in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Findings

Table 2: Management of Time for the counselling services by the Counsellors in East Siang district.

Time		Activity
From	To	Co-Curricular, Plantation, ICT, Discipline committee Examination, Physical Growth.
9AM-11:30AM	11AM-12.30PM

Interpretation: The time management of private secondary schools was recorded from 9.Am-11.30.Am to 11.am-12.30pm. They engage themselves in the activities like Co-curricular, Plantation, ICT, Discipline committee, Examination and Physical growth. The counsellor gives adequate time out of working time for counselling work.

 Table 3:  Response to the queries relating to time management for counselling work.

Interpretation: All the counsellors of private secondary schools are able to give adequate time out of working time to counselling work. Generally half proportion of working time the counsellors spend on counselling to children in the schools. All the counsellors reported that they feel that the amount of time they spend on counselling services are sufficient.

Objective 3: To study the status of Record Maintenance by the Counsellors in the Secondary Schools of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.

Findings

Table 4: Record Maintenance for the Counselling Services by the Counsellors in the Secondary Schools of East Siang District.

Sl.no	Questions	yes	No
1	Do you keep records after counselling work is over?	3	0
2	Do the authorities check the records?	2	1

Interpretation: All the counsellors of the secondary schools claimed to keep the records of counselling services and 66.66% of them reported that the authorities genuinely check the records.

Objective 4: To compare the Attitude of Female students in Government and Private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

H0₁: There exists no significant difference between the Attitude of Female students in Govt. and private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

Findings

Table 5: Attitude of Government and Private Secondary School Female Students, East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh.

Interpretation: The mean scores of attitude of female students in government and private secondary schools are 8 and 8.75 respectively whereas; their S.D. values were 3.57 and 3.89 respectively. The mean score difference between the two is only 0.75. However, the calculated CR (t) value of 0.73 is less than the table value of 0.01 at 0.05 level of significance. Therefore, the formulated null hypothesis- “There exists no significant difference between the attitude of Female students of both Government and Private Secondary schools towards Guidance and Counselling Services.’’ is accepted.

Objective 5: To compare the Attitude of Male students in Government and Private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

H0₂: There exists no significant difference between the Attitude of Male students in Govt. and private Secondary Schools in East Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh towards Counselling services.

Findings

Table 6: Attitude of Government and Private Secondary School Male Students, East Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh.

Interpretation: The mean scores of attitude among government and private secondary school male students came out to be 5.57 and 8.21 respectively. Whereas their S.D. values were 3.96 and 33.13 respectively. The mean score difference between the two is only 2.64. However, the calculated CR (t) value of 0.38 is less than the table value of 0.01 at 0.05 level of significance. Therefore, the formulated null hypothesis- “There exists no significant difference between the attitude of Male students of both Government and Private Secondary schools towards Guidance and Counselling Services.’’ gets accepted.

Conclusion and Discussion

 One of the important objectives of the present study was to see the role of counsellors in the Counselling work and to measure how far the services are effective in the secondary schools of East Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh. While investigation, it was found that there is no counsellor in the government secondary schools in the district. This fact itself has restricted the study to the around the private secondary schools. Thereby, the interview schedule with the counsellor of private secondary schools resulted that 66.66 % of the counsellors are acting as  resource person for the students when they require some information which is not available in the schools and as an enabler for the students/teachers whenever they are in need of services not available in the school. Besides, 66.66% of them claim to be acting as a link between school and home of students with problems. The entire counsellors support the staff member whenever they need help while dealing with a student facing problem. 

Generally half proportion of working time the counsellors spend on counselling to children. All the counsellors reported that they feel that the amount of time they spend on counselling services are sufficient. In addition, all the counsellors of private secondary schools keep the records of counselling services and 66.66% of them reported that the authorities genuinely check the records.

            The study also revealed that there exist no significant difference between the attitude of Female students of both Government and Private Secondary schools towards Guidance and Counselling Services. Likewise, there exists no significant difference between the attitude of Male students of both Government and Private Secondary schools towards Guidance and Counselling Services. Therefore gender as variable does not define the attitude to be either positive or negative in the case of secondary schools of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.

In relation to the study undertaken, the following suggestions have been added by the investigators:

1. School should provide facilities for the counselling services.

2. Every school irrespective of its management type should appoint counsellor. A counsellor is necessary in Government school for Guidance and counselling to help the student to have better understanding and adjustment to self and developing proper motivation.

3. Counselling services are important for increasing the understanding of educational work, vocational and social information for making various choices.

4. Counselling can help the students in addressing their personal and social life challenges also.

5. Through counselling services, students are able to develop problem solving skills which help them to deal with particular issues.

The CBSE guideline made it mandatory for schools to have counsellor. Therefore, the state Government should recruit counsellor in all the government secondary schools of Arunachal Pradesh provided that they are properly trained and facilities for counselling services are provided appropriately. This will not only help in solving various problems of students but also assist the entire educational system in its smooth working.

References

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2. Amat, S. (2019): Guidance and Counselling in Schools. 3^rd International Conference on Current Issues in Education (ICCIE), 13-18.

3. Anyi, E. M. E. (2017): The role of Guidance and Counselling in Effective Teaching and Learning in Schools: The Cameroonian Perspective. International Journal of Educational Technology and Learning. Vol. 1, issue 1, pp 11-15. DOI: 10.20448/2003.11.11.15.

4. Beauchemin, P. & Kelly, M.S. (2009): Adopted a Social marketing mind-set in School Social Work Practice. School Social Work Journal 34 (1), 61-73.

5. Chireshe, R. (2006): An Assessment of the Effectiveness of School Guidance and Counselling Services in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools (Unpublished PhD Thesis). University of South Africa.

6. Das, A.K. (1990): Rethinking multicultural Counselling: Implications for Counselor Education. Journal of Counselling and Development 74 (1), 45-52, 1995.

7. Dondo, M. (2004) Guidance and counseling for schools and college Narobi: Barclay Christian Publishers.

8. Hughes P.M. (2014): Guidance and Counselling in Schools in response to change. Pergamon Press Oxford: New York, Toronto.

8. Prakash, Ravi (2006): The Encyclopaedia of Educational Research (4 Vols).Common Wealth Publishers: New Delhi.

9. Lutomia, G. & Sikolia, L. (2002): Guidance and Counselling in Schools and Colleges. Uzima Publishing House: Nairobi.

10. Nkechi, E.E., Ewomaoghene, E.E., & Egenti, N. (2016): The role of Guidance and Counselling in effective teaching and learning in schools. RAY: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. Vol. 1, issue 2, 36-48.