Honing counselling skills

Skyline College, Sharjah University City, recently hosted a daylong workshop 'Academic Advising in Higher Education' for school counsellors and senior teachers in charge of career guidance. Twenty eight counsellors representing different institutions took part in the professional-development opportunity.

Requirements

Representatives of various universities gave an overview of their educational systems and highlighted the prerequisite requirements for further studies.

Canadian Consulate representative George Braun talked about the options open to students seeking higher education in Canada, while his counterpart Kay Bartosz, programme director Career Advising and Counselling Programme, SWC, Higher Colleges of Technology, outlined the admission requirements of the American institutions. Shyamala Elango, director of Inner Universe, gave an overview of the Australian education system while Kamal Puri, director of Skyline College added details about institutions in the UAE

Puri also emphasised the need to enrol in accredited institutions. He urged the other counsellors to ensure that institutions in the UAE that they are referring to students are accredited by checking with the official website of the Council for Academic Accreditation, Education Ministry (www.caa.ae).

Feedback

In her feedback, Ellen Tang, guidance counsellor for the American Academy for girls, said, "representatives of the different educational systems need international counsellors to have the correct information about the options for continuing studies abroad so that they can properly guide their students."

"As academic counsellors we should keep ourselves up-to-date," said Benitha Vincent, Principal, Saint Mary Catholic High School, Fujairah.

Coordinated programme

Participants were pleased with the way the event was conducted.

"The coordinators did their homework when organising," said Jayaraj B, student counsellor, Our Own English High School, Sharjah, boys branch. Zoe Ashby, career coordinator, Deira International School, Dubai added that the event offered a good opportunity to meet colleagues and share ideas.

Preeti Goyal, counsellor, The Millennium School, Dubai, also felt that the programme was a "quick and complete knowledge sheet." "The programme was very well received and since it was a small group, greater interaction was possible," said Anuradha Vyas, supervisor student services, Skyline College.

Activities

The programme divided counsellors into groups to deal with various case studies in which members discussed their respective situations and come up with solutions. The sessions were interactive and the group's findings were presented to the larger audience.

"Using the case studies as an example was a novel idea. The time given to each group was perfect," said Sudha Srivalsan counsellor, Our Own English High School, Sharjah, girls branch.

— The writer is the director of Counselling Point Educational and Social Service