Children today have vastly different lives from those their parents had at their age. They are more digitally attached but socially detached. With more families turning nuclear and both parents working outside the home, a child’s emotional needs often get neglected. This is where the school counselors’ role becomes significant, as they bridge the gaps that parents and teachers fail to address. The service they offer provides an overview of why counselling is necessary in schools and how it benefits growing kids.

Importance of school counselors

Schools hire counselors to support students who need help in areas beyond the curriculum. These could be career advice, emotional aid, academic direction, or simply someone to confide in. Let us find out the areas of support your child can expect if their school provides in-house counselling services:

1. Mental wellbeing and support

Mental wellbeing of students is of the foremost importance to school counselors as this is their core service. Better mental health is directly related to improved academic performance, learning capabilities, and cognitive resonance.

Students visit counselors to discuss personal problems, stress management, and academic support. Just as adults visit psychologists to untangle life’s knots they cannot resolve, school counselors are responsible for making students’ lives easier.

2. Creating a safe space

Students are often scared of teachers because of the strict temperament most of them carry when conducting classes and maintaining discourse. Contrary to this, a counselor creates a safe, interactive, and open space for students to seek help when they are weary.

Counselors foster a positive school culture by creating a welcoming environment where students feel comfortable and cared for. The feeling of being heard and belongingness sends a sense of security and keenness towards school activities and studies.

3. Addressing behavioral issues

Teachers find it challenging to address behavioral issues among growing children. Here, they seek the help of counselors to raise concerns about a student or a group of notorious students.

Counselors address such complaints by speaking directly with students. Instead of punishment, they are intervened emotionally, helping them recognize their fault and take ownership of their mistakes.

As kids grow, they become rebellious, and harsh responses do more harm than good. Counselors create appropriate interventions to resolve matters responsibly and sensibly. They also give an ultimatum outlining the consequences students will face if their unacceptable behavior persists.

4. Personal development

Counselors promote self-esteem and confidence in students by helping them recognize their potential. They closely monitor their involvement and results, both academically and in extracurricular activities, to double down on their strengths and focus areas.

Counselors provide support during transitional phases. For example, they make new admittees feel at home, mentor kids dealing with the complexities of adolescence, or changes in family dynamics, and more.

5. Maintaining harmony in classrooms

Competitiveness is an inevitable part of school life that acquaints students with emotions they find hard to process. These could be both positive and negative. Some find competitions motivating and optimistic, while some feel anxious and frightened. Emotional differences provoke reactions among classmates that manifest in quarrels and conflicts. If an incident like this comes to the notice of teachers, they need support from counselors to resolve such matters.

Counselors are responsible for mediating circumstances that students cannot resolve on their own by sitting them down individually or in groups. They are impartial disciplinarians who resolve misunderstandings and address problem areas that children might not otherwise realize. They conduct restorative sessions to bring back harmony and unite students as friends.

6. Academic guidance

Counselors offer guidance to students facing academic challenges by providing actionable suggestions towards study habits and time management. They keep a record of their academic journey to identify their strengths and weaknesses. It gives them an idea of setting realistic goals that students can achieve without feeling overwhelmed about learning multiple subjects.

Counselors inform teachers about students who may have learning difficulties, so that these children receive more attention and care. Their collaborative efforts create a holistic learning environment that encourages children to realize their full potential.

7. Career counselling

The importance of school counselors for career growth and direction is crucial. Here, their role isn’t only to suggest what a student should pursue, but also to influence decisions that shape their whole life.

The first step begins with helping them choose among the Science, Commerce, and Arts streams for higher education. Based on this choice, counselors assist students with college applications, scholarship opportunities, prepare them for financial requirements, and more.

Counselors stay updated on evolving job markets and assess each student’s potential to suggest where they can excel. Based on both of these conditions, they help students understand the skills, courses, and mentorship necessary for such pursuits. Lastly, they also help them develop resumes and prepare for job interviews, so that they are ready for the corporate world.

8. Supporting parents

When school counselors mentor students, they gain insight into their behavioral patterns and areas that require attention. They share sensitive details about a child with teachers and parents to explore ways to help them grow.

One-on-one consultation in this regard goes beyond regular parent-teacher meetings to understand a child’s social and personal environments. Based on their understanding and knowledge, counselors share opinions on ways parents can improve their child’s life.

Why do schools need counselors?

Modern educational institutions need to go beyond the basics of academics and extracurricular activities. They need to prioritize mental wellbeing as kids today are much more impacted by their surroundings due to social media. There is also an increasing sense of loneliness stemming from smaller family dynamics.

Comprehensive support from counselors can improve a child’s academic performance, career aspirations, and emotional well-being. At DWPS Barasat, we have student counselors who provide psychological and motivational support to students and parents. Our services foster an inclusive environment that makes every child feel at home and helps them grow to their full potential.