The Turkish department of education has announced that it would be launching a new initiative “class counseling program” for school students in 2021.
The ministry noted that the new class counseling program is aimed at schools in a bid to guide pupils from kindergarten to their graduation on various academic-related issues, such as career planning, emotional development, among others.
According to the education ministry, the new initiative’s primary goal is to begin the class counseling program process as early as possible in various schools to help the pupils make decisions at different stages of their lives.
The ministry explained that as students grow older, the class counseling program will offer supportive guidance on various issues, from assisting them in adapting to school when they first become students, to teaching them how to deal with multiple new emotions they experience as they grow older.
Turkey Education Minister Ziya Selçuk stated the class counseling program came about as a result of years of research and development on how to serve the Turkish students best.
He said:
We will begin implementing this program in 2020-21, which will help our students on multiple issues. With the program, our students will receive help not only in their educational processes but also in honing their personalities.
Three main branches of Class counseling program
The Turkish Education Minister Ziya, while speaking with journalists, said the class counseling program has three main branches.
The academic branch of the program will assist students in achieving success in their education, which would invariably assist them in adapting to school life and teaching them how to handle their responsibilities at school.
The career development branch will help students decide on their future professions and chose the right paths in their educational life to achieve their dream careers.
Counselors will inform students about possible departments in universities and the branches they should study in high school, depending on the career goals of each student.
The social-emotional development branch of the program will offer counseling on subjects such as social adaptation and coping with emotions as students reach puberty.
This branch will also help students develop communication skills and will mentor them on how to improve their self-confidence.
Ziya also noted the number of counselors at schools would be increased to meet with the demand and fully realize the potential of the class counseling program.
Fighting discrimination
Recently, the Turkish Ministry of Education launched an investigation into a guidebook prepared for teachers, after social media users denounced some visual depictions used in the book for being discriminatory.
Notably, the visuals in the book drew criticism for showing all mothers that show compassion towards their children as wearing the Islamic head covering of hijab, while mothers who caused further frustration in their children are without a veil.
The book “Psychosocial Support Programme Practitioner Training” was published by the ministry to help teachers to reach out to children victimized by traumas.
