New Delhi: A child can be encouraged to speak up, but who does she turn to when there is no trained counsellor in her school to listen to? The question assumes more significance after Delhi High Court stressed that educational institutions must create an environment where children feel confident reporting any conduct causing fear, discomfort or insecurity.
Teacher-counsellors, officials said, are teachers who provide counselling support alongside their teaching responsibilities. In Delhi’s govt schools, however, the support system to create this safe space remains stretched, with educational and vocational guidance counsellors often catering to more than one school. Consequently, teachers often become the first responders to students’ emotional problems despite having academic responsibilities. EVGCs are specialist counsellors who provide students with psycho-emotional, personal, academic and career counselling, including individual and group sessions. They are recruited through Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board, while guest EVGCs have also been engaged against vacancies. The concerns that reach school counsellors can range from academic pressure to problems that require sustained intervention. Adolescents grapple with exam pressure, bullying and cyberbullying, family conflict, grief and trauma and, in some cases, substance abuse. Such problems can affect attendance, academic performance and self-esteem if timely support is not available. Identifying a child who needs help can itself be difficult. Distress can often manifest through irritability, withdrawal, frequent physical complaints or declining interest in academics. Teachers are often the first adults in school to notice changes in a student’s behaviour, making an effective system for referring such children to counsellors crucial.
Officials earlier estimated that achieving an ideal ratio of one counsellor for every 250-300 students would require nearly 6,000-7,000 professionals across Delhi. Even meeting the Central Board of Secondary Education guideline of one counsellor for every 500 students would require 3,500-3,600 counsellors.