To organise a successful school guidance program, it is necessary to set up various guidance committees which are carefully constituted, properly guided, and well-monitored.
These committees, although different in composition and goals, isare dependent on one another.
What Is A School Guidance Committee?
The school guidance committees are oversight groups saddled with the administration of the diverse school guidance programs targeted at different aspects of human (student) development in the school.
Each committee consists of 5 to 12 members who could be both staff and non-staff members of the school.
The school guidance committee is headed by a chairman who is the main contact point between the committee and the students.
The committee also works hand-in-hand with the school counselor— receiving and giving adequate information on what to do and how to accomplish the counseling goals of the committee.
Related: 9 Steps To Become An Effective School Counselor
Roles of the School Guidance Committees
The following committees are necessary for the success of the school guidance programs
1. Appraisal Committee
The appraisal committee is responsible for identifying the specific needs of students and teachers in the school. They examine the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the students and the school system.
This information could be obtained from the Cumulative Record Folder (CRF), feedback from teachers, quick surveys, interviews, and general trends in the school and society.
It is the result of the activities of the appraisal committee that determines which guidance program will be conducted in the school.
2. Counselling Committee
The counseling committee is saddled with ensuring that adequate intervention is provided based on the findings and goals set by the appraisal committee.
They organize individual and group counseling for students and teachers as the need be.
Areas where help can be offered include helping them in making appropriate decisions, developing personal-social skills, overcoming psychological issues, and behavioral maladjustment, to mention a few.
The counseling committee can also request the assistance of external facilitators in cases that need special attention.
Related: 20 Roles of Counselors in Schools (Secondary, Elementary, and Tertiary)
3. Consultation Committee
Although every school guidance committee must maintain continuous touch with students through their chairman, the consultation committee is focused wholly on this.
They draft strategies to maintain open communication with students and ensure that every member of the school community feels comfortable to approach the guidance personnel at different levels.
They provide direction for students to the appropriate quarters for whatever needs they may have. They also offer help to students in cases that do not require specialized counseling intervention e.g. conflict resolution.
4. Orientation Committee
The orientation committee is responsible for ensuring that newly admitted students into the school adapt to the new environment and maximize all the structures available in the school.
This is firstly achieved through the initial orientation program organized upon resumption, then at various localized platforms like the classroom and clubs and societies.
The orientation committee also intimates the students with the appropriate quarters to reach out to for different purposes (even non-counseling related).
Related: 15 Importance of Guidance and Counseling in Education
5. Placement Committee
The placement committee is in charge of assigning students to various academic departments based on their capabilities.
The goal of this committee is to help see that every child maximizes their true potential and does not make uninformed decisions when choosing where to specialize.
The placement committee does not just choose the class for the student, instead, they sit with them and find out their interests, motivation, potential, and life expectations.
This can form the onset of a successful career guidance session that could give the child great clarity about the world of work and himself.
6. Evaluation Committee
The evaluation committee is responsible for assessing the effectiveness of all guidance programs and the level to which the guidance or counseling goals of the school are achieved.
Feedback from the evaluation committee is used to ascertain the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the different phases of the implementation of the school guidance program, as well as the school guidance committees.
It also forms the basis for the next line of action that should be taken by each guidance committee and personnel.
7. Follow-up Committee
The follow-up committee in the guidance program of secondary schools keeps up with the students and ensures that they are progressing in their various places of placement both within and outside the school.
Appropriate remedial measures are also strategized and affected for students who aren’t making progress as expected.
This progress could include entering into a higher institution, remaining free from behavioral maladjustments that were worked on in school, entering into satisfying careers, and so on.
Conclusion
Some school guidance committees include the appraisal committee, the counseling committee, the consultation committee, the orientation committee, the placement committee, the evaluation committee, and the follow-up committee.
Their activities are continuous and dependent on each other for the overall effectiveness of guidance and counseling in schools.