Student counsel centres must in higher education: UGC

Thiruvananthapuram: In an official circular, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all higher education institutions and universities to set up student counselling centres with qualified psychologists. The circular said that the directive was based on the guidelines Safety of Students on and off campuses of Higher Educational institutions. One of the important components of the guidelines was that all the higher education institutions should mandatorily put in place a “Students Counselling System” for the effective redressal of problems and challenges faced by students, said the circular.

It should be a unique, interactive and target-oriented system, involving students, teachers and parents to address common student concerns ranging from anxiety, stress, fear of change and failure to homesickness and a slew of other academic worries, said the circular. It should bridge formal as well as communicative gaps between the students and the institution at large.  The counsellors appointed must stay in touch with students throughout the year.

Teacher counsellors, trained to act as the guardians of students at the college level, should remain in close touch with the students allotted to them throughout the year, cater to their emotional and intellectual needs and guide them to move up in their career at regular interval of time. Teacher counsellors can coordinate with wardens of hostels and exchange personal details of students, academic record and behavior patterns for prompt pre-emptive or corrective action. Besides, the Students Counseling centre in  university or  colleges affiliated to your university where the services of a trained psychologist may be availed as and when required.