Improving school psychological counseling capacity for homeroom teachers

The Ministry of Education and Training, in collaboration with Room to Read, recently held a workshop to summarize the pilot program to improve school psychological counseling capacity for homeroom teachers of secondary and high schools in the three provinces of Tuyen Quang, Nghe An and Ca Mau.

The pilot program to improve school psychological counseling capacity for homeroom teachers will start from December 2023, aiming to foster the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for homeroom teachers in providing psychological support to students in junior high and high schools.

Ms. Do Thi Van Anh - Head of the survey and evaluation team of the pilot program said: The program focuses on helping homeroom teachers identify early and intervene promptly in psychological problems encountered by students, create a safe and positive school environment, and coordinate effectively with parents, schools and psychological experts.

Piloted in three provinces representing different regions, the program not only improves teachers' individual capacity but also contributes to the formation of a school counseling model suitable to actual conditions, aiming at the ability to expand and apply throughout the Vietnamese general education system.

Through 3 implementation phases, the program received high appreciation from the team of class teachers for its practicality, in-depth content and flexible methods. In particular, the hierarchical training model from core teachers to class teachers is considered appropriate in the context of limited resources.

The results showed that after the training, 100% of the teachers had basic knowledge of psychological counseling, and nearly 80% could apply the skills in practice. The percentage of students willing to share their difficulties with teachers reached 92.5%, far exceeding the set target. The teachers also changed their perception significantly, moving from passive to proactive in accompanying students in psychological issues.

Sharing at the program, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy - Deputy Head of Secondary Education Department, Nghe An Department of Education and Training said: Coordination between family - school - society plays an important role in psychological counseling for students, supporting them to comprehensively develop their qualities and abilities, and cope with challenges in study and life.

In which, the homeroom teacher is both the coordinating subject and the consulting object of the school in building a cooperative relationship between the school and society, advising families on using relationships with society to advise students.

At the workshop, delegates, experts, and teachers continued to share experiences, discuss, and make recommendations on related issues such as promoting training in localities. The workshop also discussed and proposed a model for expanding the program to improve school psychological counseling capacity for homeroom teachers in high schools across the country in the coming time.

Mr. Do Duc Que - Deputy Director of the General Education Department, Deputy Head of the Program Coordination Board emphasized: The Ministry of Education and Training always attaches importance to perfecting policies and strengthening the implementation of school psychological counseling in educational institutions with the goal of building a safe, friendly, healthy and equal learning environment, helping students develop comprehensively.

According to Mr. Do Duc Que, for psychological counseling to be truly effective, there needs to be synchronous coordination between the Ministry of Education and Training, Departments of Education and Training, a team of experts in the field of social work, school psychology, along with the proactive participation of educational institutions. The Ministry of Education and Training requires Departments of Education and Training to develop specific implementation plans in localities, and at the same time direct and guide schools to organize implementation in accordance with practical conditions.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/nang-cao-nang-luc-tu-van-tam-ly-hoc-duong-cho-giao-vien-chu-nhiem-post741521.html