For the first time in the state of Punjab, now in all government schools the Project 'Mashaal' has been launched to train at least one teacher from each school to counsel the students for both career and personal problems.
Highly placed sources said that under this project 'Mashaal' at least one teacher from each school will be trained in the basics of student counseling. So that the teacher will be able to counsel the students in a two pronged strategy adopted by the state school education department, doing career counseling for the senior classes as well as personal counseling for personality and behaviour problems for students of all classes.
Under this project approximately four hundred teachers from ten districts have been trained so far. "It is a meticulously planned project which will be implemented in all senior secondary schools to begin with. A special web page on the official departmental website is being created to upload the latest information about suitable training and career opportunities for students in their respective districts,'' said an official.
He added that the designated counsellors have been suggested a list of topics like basic health, risks of drugs, best study methods, managing anxiety etc which should be discussed in the classes. The entire project is being conducted without any extra funds in collaboration with a non-profit organisation Nishan Educational Trust, run by a psychologist Dr Ranjit Powar and Hardeep Singh.
Through this project the department hopes to facilitate student achievement, improve attendance, help in healthier personality development of students and guide them about available career choices and avenues of self-employment said a teacher on condition of anonymity. Another teacher said that Punjab is grappling with multiple personal, social, economic and health problems regarding its youth. There are high rates of unemployment, substance abuse, sexual crimes and heavy exodus of youngsters to foreign shores.
Thus the government schools in the state face relatively higher challenges of absenteeism, school drop outs and underachievement in students. Recognizing the urgent need for psychological intervention and to help the students, Secretary of School Education, Punjab has initiated this project to fill the gap.
