Unique solutions from the perspective of School Psychologist in the educational context
SERVICES RENDERED BY MANAS
Globalization appears to be a significant force in the psychological development of the people of the 21st century, especially it targets adolescents. It lead to unhealthy competition among students due to parental unrealistic expectations, and inability to estimate their actual talents, skills, capabilities tend to lead a lot of psychosocial problems like anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, lack of social skills, and mental health problems. Indian students face tremendous stress and competition from all spheres of life including their parents, schools and society.
The aim of the education is to develop all round maturity of students so that the students should be mentally strong, morally upright, emotionally stable, ethically sound, physically sound, culturally refined, socially efficient, and spiritually enlightening. All the schools are striving to give 100 % pass percentage and trying to give in their best. However, they could not succeed all the time, as students cannot cope up with the pressure and eventually fail to succeed. Being academically successful and making a place for oneself in the society is their priority. It is also true that youth today, often lacks academic motivation as their attention is diverted and divided among many things like peer group, heterogeneous relations, fashion and incessant entertainment.
It appears that desiring and requiring academic achievement on one hand, and getting diverted from thorough academic efforts, creates a situation of continuous stress and anxiety.
Adolescence corresponds to the period of turmoil, turbulent, transitional stage. Although students in all age group experience pressure, the pressure faced by adolescent student is more aggravated by the virtue of their present stage of development. Because the adolescents are experiencing various strong cognitive and physical changes, for the first time in their lives they may start to view their friends, their peer group, as more important and influential than their parents/guardians.
Schools work is more demanding intellectually than any other work, not just greater in amount. Strategies like memorizing or knowing one way to solve a particular kind of problem – strategies that worked well in lower classes – usually will not prove successful for board exams. Learning how to learn in new ways is stressful. If this takes some time and, in the meantime, grades on exams are lower than the student has ever seen, it can also take a toll on self-confidence. When students do not succeed, the reason is virtually never that they are intellectually incapable of doing the work; something outside school gets in their way- immaturity, lack of motivation or discipline, mismatch with program, alcohol, illness, emotional problems, family or financial difficulties. The all-pervasive competitive atmosphere, be it social or academic, encourages adolescents to constantly compare themselves with their peers. Consequently their self-image is in a continual state of redefinition. Stress is partly created by parental pressure too when they expect the adolescents to perform and stand out among their peer groups. When they can’t rise up to that expectation or are in process of meeting it, adolescents suffer from frustration, physical stress, aggression, undesirable complexes and depression.
Hence, it is necessary to equip adolescents with necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to adapt to the demands successfully. The services offered by MANAS for Educational Institutions are based on scientific research. The overall outcome of these services programs would be academic success, happiness and well-being.
Broad Objectives:
The general comprehensive training programme for students populations are furnished below. Based on the need for training in the school/college as advised by principal, the modules could be chosen. The effectiveness of training programme would be assessed by using psychological tests and qualitative feedback.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Enable students to have positive outlook towards self, parents, education, peers and life on the whole for their success and happiness.
MOTIVATION & GOAL SETTING: To make them realize the value and meaning of one’s life and drive them towards their goals.
The above two modules are recommended before giving any other training to students, as they foster right attitude among students, to benefit from any forms of training.
STUDY SKILLS TRAINING: Enable students to experience and develop learning and academic skills appropriate for study in a educational context.
EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS: Enable students to develop the skills and prepare him/her for a competitive job market in the world of work.
MANAGING TRANSITIONS: Enable students to cope with the changes that accompany the adolescence period and also be prepared for the transition from school to college.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Enable students to communicate effectively for success in their career, social and personal life.
LIFE SKILLS: Enable students to handle problems and questions commonly encountered in daily human life.
SELF ESTEEM TRAINING: Boost students’ self worth and enable them to cope with feelings and validate themselves.
SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING: Improve the way students interact socially, a necessary skill for getting social support and success in life.
SEX EDUCATION: to cope with adolescence needs and prevent various perils.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: To deal with emotions in appropriate ways by changing their negative thinking.
ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING: To stand up for their own rights, to improve their self concept.
STRESS MANAGEMENT:To deal effectively with day to day stress issues.
PUBLIC SPEAKING: To become fearless about public speaking and become more confident about themselves.
DECISION-MAKING SKILLS: To make decision making easy and without any postponement and hesitation.
PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS:To become more creative in their approach towards study and all aspects of life’s problems.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:To become empathetic with people at school and family to gain much needed social support and to deal effectively with conflicts.
RESILIENCE:To bounce back successfully from the difficulties (challenges) faced by an individual in their lives.
VALUE CLARIFICATION:To become responsible citizens and develop ethics.
- Mental Health Survey.
- Emotional and Behavioral Problems.
- Stress Survey.
- Intelligence.
- Personality.
- Aptitude.
- Interest.
- Employability.
- Self Esteem.
- Suicidal Ideation.
We also develop appropriate standardized psychological tools according to the needs of the institutions.
Referrals from Educational Institutions will be accepted by MANAS. We also provide details of available support and mental health services. Individual students, parents, and teachers can also contact MANAS for their mental health needs.