Is counselling the engineering of the minds of children or just a scaffolding (support system)? (Part 1.8):

According to psychologists, a child is a developing being, parents have the right and responsibility to take care of them. As a child (minor), by law, children do not have autonomy or the right to make decisions on their own for themselves in any known jurisdiction of the world. Instead, their adult caregivers, including their parents, teachers and others, are vested with that authority, depending on the circumstances (IGNOU, N.D). This again opens up a big question, is counselling the engineering of the minds of children or just a scaffolding? This also gives us space to think of the role of a parent and caregiver in upbringing and character building of children.

In today's society, we are seeing an unprecedented need for counselling. The need for counselling in current times is also due to emerging disorders in children, one such disorder is Autism. In psychiatry Autism is defined as, an abnormal absorption with the self; marked by communication disorders and short attention span and inability to treat others as people (AED, N.D). The problems connected with autism are such that it might affect the normal schooling and socialization of the child. Thus this kind of emerging disorders also calls for counsellors in the school to help detect the disorder and adopt intervention measures. Autism or autism spectrum disorders are a complex developmental disorder when defined from the behavioural standpoint, with multiple aetiologies and varying degrees of severity (Figueiras, Souza, ríos, & Benguigui, 2012). Similarly, experts have identified many developmental disorders in children which has to be taken into consideration.

Are we discussing counselling in only an educational context? Is it enough to discuss counselling in educational settings, do we have to open up ourselves to examine the children who are placed out of school? Some of the places where children are exposed to challenging situations are industries, hospitals, juvenile centres, and like. Do we have to look at the child’s safety, security and wellbeing at all the environments where the child is engaged?

Currently, in urban India, there is a lot of emphases given to school counselling, which is very helpful in supporting a child’s mental health and other special needs. The committees like ‘Raghavan Committee’ have emphasised counselling practice. And also it is very evident from the CBSE board mandating the appointment of a counsellor in schools. Even after mandating most of the schools do not have counsellors yet.

There are other participants like teachers, parents and principals who can also be like an informal counsellor to the child once they are oriented into these skills. It is important for us to deeply look at the psychological, social and cultural aspects of counselling, how it can help us to balance healthy human growth.

From ages, the family system and the community structure and bond has created a lot of difference in people’s lives. The changing family structure and the evolving social trends with an almost failed traditional support system has created a gap for fulfilling the physical, psychological and social needs of the child stressing the need for an alternative support system to meet the needs of the child (Kodad and Kazi, 2014). It’s time for us to pause and think, will the school counselling alone solve the challenges faced by our children.

Counselling as a profession is definitely a concept developed at western countries’ context. Indian society with its strong family bonds and a warm community feeling and spiritual essence has for ages providing the shock absorbers in times of crisis and a support system to deal with the various psychosocial issues (Kodad and Kazi, 2014).

Further reading:

The emerging area of Counselling in Schools in India

http://www.midnaporecollege.ac.in/RemoteClass/counselling.pdf

Click to access all the articles published in this series:

This is part of Children's mental health and wellbeing series brought to you by Credence Learning Foundation. This article is taken from a study submitted as course work at Azim Premji University.

Click this link to join CLF Whatsapp group for latest publications:

Click to read: We have together 850+ Articles, Videos and Resources:

Click below topic you want to read: ⬇️ Download Credence App if not yet downloaded: Browse, read through your area of interest and share the app with your connections.

Seven key differences between Parenting in India and Dutch:

- A Dutch mother, Ivana, recently shared her experiences living in Mumbai for nine years, highlighting seven key differences between parenting in India. She emphasises that neither approach is "better" or "worse," but rather they involve different trade-offs. Key Differences in Parenting: According to her viral reflections on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWJv7RLDM-z/), the primary contrasts include: * Community vs. Solo Marathon: In the Netherlands, parenting often feels like a "solo marathon". In Mumbai, she experiences a "real village" where family, neighbours, and the building community are always available to help. * Independence vs. Interdependence: Dutch culture raises children to be "fierceley independent," such as cycling to school alone at age eight. Indian parenting focuses on interdependence and being part of a larger, supportive system. * Child-Friendly Public Spaces: She notes that children in India are acce...

ಪ್ರೊ. ಕೆ. ಎಸ್. ನಿಸಾರ್ ಅಹಮದ್ ರವರ ಜೀವನ-

- ಪ್ರೊ. ಕೆ. ಎಸ್. ನಿಸಾರ್ ಅಹಮದ್ ಪ್ರೊ.ಕೆ.ಎಸ್.ನಿಸಾರ್ ಅಹಮದ್ (5 ಫೆಬ್ರುವರಿ 1936 - 3 ಮೇ 2020) ಕನ್ನಡದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಸಾಹಿತಿಗಳಾಗಿದ್ದರು. ಅವರ ಪೂರ್ಣ ಹೆಸರು 'ಕೊಕ್ಕರೆಹೊಸಳ್ಳಿ ಶೇಖಹೈದರ ನಿಸಾರ್ ಅಹಮದ್'. ಅವರು ಬರೆದ 'ಜೋಗದ ಸಿರಿ ಬೆಳಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ತುಂಗೆಯ ತೆನೆ ಬಳುಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ' ಎಂಬ ಪದ್ಯವು ಬಹಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯವಾಗಿ ಅವರು ನಿತ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಕವಿಯೆಂದೂ ಕರೆಯಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. Image source: Online typing ಜೀವನ- ಪ್ರೊ. ನಿಸಾರ್ ಅಹಮದ್ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಫೆಬ್ರುವರಿ ೫, ೧೯೩೬ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಜನಿಸಿದರು. ೧೯೫೯ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಭೂವಿಜ್ಞಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾತಕೋತ್ತರ ಪದವಿ ಪಡೆದರು. ೧೯೯೪ ರ ವರೆಗೆ ವಿವಿಧ ಸರಕಾರಿ ಕಾಲೇಜುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಧ್ಯಾಪಕ ಹಾಗು ಪ್ರಾಧ್ಯಾಪಕರಾಗಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿ ನಿವೃತ್ತರಾದರು. ಜನನ 5 ಫೆಬ್ರುವರಿ 1936 ದೇವನಹಳ್ಳಿ, ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ, ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷ್ ಇಂಡಿಯಾ ಮರಣ 3 ಮೇ 2020 (ವಯಸ್ಸು 84)[೧] ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ವೃತ್ತಿ ಸಾಹಿತಿ, ಪ್ರೊಫೆಸರ್ ಭಾಷೆ ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯತೆ ಭಾರತ ಪ್ರಕಾರ/ಶೈಲಿ Fiction ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಚಳುವಳಿ ನವ್ಯ ಕಾವ್ಯ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಕೆಲಸಗಳು ಮನಸು ಗಾಂಧಿ ಬಜಾರು(1960) ನಿತ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಗಳು ಪದ್ಮಶ್ರೀ (೨೦೦೮), ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ (೧೯೮೧) ಕೆಲವು ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಗಳು : ನಿಸಾರ್ ಅಹಮದ್ ...

The man who had never occupied a school desk spent nearly 11 years trying to build a classroom large enough for an entire republic:

Snippets: - In 1948, Azad appointed the University Education Commission under S Radhakrishnan. Its work helped shape the University Grants Commission, constituted in 1953, and later given statutory status in 1956. - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's story is one of self-learning, nation-building, and institutions like IITs and AIIMS that he helped set up, that continue to shape generations of Indians. - Azad served as India's education minister from August 1947 until his death in February 1958. During his tenure, India established IIT Kharagpur, the UGC, the University and Secondary Education Commissions, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) etc - During his tenure, the central education budget rose from roughly Rs 2 crore to more than Rs 30 crore. - Azad did not see higher education as the privilege of the elites. He described basic education as the birthright of every individual and pressed for free and compulsory schooling, adult literacy, teacher training and greater...

Every Child’s Mind Can Grow: How We Learned to Protect and Nurture Young Minds:

- For a long time, people believed that children were born with a set amount of intelligence that could never really change. If a child struggled to learn, it was often assumed to be something they were simply born with. Psychologist J. McVicker Hunt changed that mindset forever. He showed the world that a young child’s brain is not set in stone—it is flexible, growing, and deeply affected by the world around them. What a child hears, sees, and experiences in their earliest years can completely shape how their mind develops. ## What Happens When Young Minds Miss Out ? Hunt paid close attention to what happens when children grow up in tough environments without enough learning tools, books, or warm, interactive attention. He discovered that children raised without these basic early opportunities fell far behind in thinking and learning skills—not because they weren't capable, but because their brains were starving for stimulation. The most vital part of his discovery, however, was ...

If you are in your office more than 2 hours without walking, you are not leading the school. You are managing paperwork:

- A school is not run from a desk. It is led from the corridors. In business they call it MBWA — Management By Walking Around. In schools we call it the Walking Headteacher Principle. The best heads are never hidebound in the office. An office-bound head hears reports about the school. A walking head sees the real school. Why You Must Walk: 1. You See The Invisible Child From your office you only see the naughty child who is sent to you. When you walk at break, at toilet time, in the library, you see the quiet child alone, the bullied child, the hungry child. The child who will never knock on your office door. That 2-minute eye contact in the corridor can save a life. 2. You Kill Problems When They Are Small Office head: Hears about a fight after it happened. Walking head: Sees the push, the swear word, the group forming in the corner, and stops it with a "Hello, boys, everything okay?" before it becomes a fight. Discipline drops by 30-40% just by visible presence. 3. Staff ...

The final two steps — Analyse and Prevent — are where institutional improvement happens:

- A parent sends a message at 9:00 in the morning: “My child’s notebook has not been checked properly for the last two weeks.” Nobody responds. At 1:00 PM, the parent sends another message. Still no clear response. The next morning, the parent calls reception. Reception says: “We will inform the coordinator.” The coordinator is busy. Another day passes. By the third day, the original notebook issue is no longer the real problem. Now the parent is angry because: Nobody listened Nobody took ownership Nobody communicated Nobody gave a timeline Nobody closed the issue A small academic concern has become a trust problem. This is how many school complaints escalate. Not because the original issue was impossible to solve. Because the school did not have a system to detect, own, resolve, and close the issue early. Strong schools should not only have a Complaint Handling System. They should have a Parent Complaint Prevention System. The objective is different. Complaint handling asks: “How...

The New Town called Fraser Town in 1914- amazing story of Bangalore's top locality-

- This information and the photo collection of Bangalore will fascinate you. The New Town called Fraser Town in 1914. The Plague was responsible for creation of Malleshwaram and Basavanagudi near Bengalooru Pete. Likewise Fraser Town was one of the new towns created in a older area called Mootoocherry near the St. John's Church to decongest the Cantonment due to the plague. Pictures from Plague-proof Town Planning by J H Stephens 1914 & THE ‘UNINTENDED’ CITY: A Case for Re-reading the Spatialization of a Princely City through the 1898 Plague Epidemic. Pic 1. Distant view of the town and the principal approach. Pic 2 . View of a block of buildings in erection. Pic 3. Near View of Two Compound Cottages in Fraser Town Source: Received the information through whatsapp

School Library suggested list for Indian schools for classes 6th to 10th standard:

## - Book Suggestions for a School Library in India for classes 6-10. Here are some book suggestions, focusing on core subjects and Indian languages, to enrich your school library: 1. Works by renowned Indian authors in various languages (Hindi, english, regional languages etc.) 2. Language Reference Books: * Dictionaries (English, Hindi, regional languages) * Thesauruses * Grammar books * English communication books * Writing guides * Essay writing books 3. Science: * Biographies of famous scientists (e.g., Einstein, Curie) * Books on specific scientific topics (e.g., astronomy, biology, chemistry) 4. Mathematics: * Mathematical puzzles and brain teasers * History of mathematics * Books on the practical applications of mathematic...

How Going Bookless Transforms Student Learning:

- Eyes on the class, Not the Page: The Case for Bookless Teaching Let’s be honest: there’s a massive difference between a teacher who is locked into a textbook and one who is fully locked into the classroom. When we teach with our eyes glued to a page, we’re often just managing a script; but when we put the book down, the classroom instantly shifts from a formal lecture into a living, breathing conversation. It takes a little courage to step away from the safety net of printed chapters, but the payoff in raw student connection and active memory recall is unmatched. Going "bookless" in a classroom—whether you're the student or the teacher—is a bold move that shifts the energy from passive reading to active engagement. While books are incredible resources, stepping away from them during a live session offers some unique psychological and social advantages. 1. Heightened Active Listening When there isn’t a text to follow along with, the brain is forced to process informatio...

Edu Research & Insights

Search This Blog