AP Student's Counselors Recruitment 2025 Guidelines, Deployment of 51 District-Level Counselors through EdCIL Recruitment - Certain Instructions - Issued
Samagra Shiksha - Deployment of 51 District-Level Counselors through EdCIL Recruitment - Certain Instructions - Issued R.c.No. 21023/15/2024-GCDO Date: 29-01-2025
Read:- Email Received from Mr. Dhiman Thakuria, Project Officer, EdCIL, Dt: 23.01.2025.
The attention of all the Regional Joint Directors, District Educational Officers and Additional Project Coordinators of Samagra Shiksha in the State is informed that, in collaboration with EdCIL (Educational Consultants India Ltd.), Samagra Shiksha, AP took initiative to promote student well-being by deploying 255 counsellors across state. In Phase-1, 51 District Counsellors and 4 PMU Counsellors have been recruited (list enclosed). Further, they are informed to admit the 51 District Counsellors in their respective districts to perform their assigned duties.
The following guidelines are issued to facilitate the smooth implementation of this initiative:
- Allocate 8 -10 secondary and senior secondary schools from 8 Mandals in your district to each counsellor deployed by EdCIL. Ensure equitable distribution and prioritize schools with higher needs based on student population and existing challenges. These counsellors shall permit to stay in each school for one week to understand the bio –psycho development of students and observe the behavior, emotional and academic challenges.
- For February and March 2025, ensure counsellors observe the mental wellbeing of students and provide career guidance. They are responsible for identifying mental health challenges, addressing career aspirations, and providing strategies for stress management and self-awareness.
- Arrange one orientation session in the first day in each school (8-10) involving key stakeholders such as headmasters, teachers, students, parents, and SMCs members. Highlight the role of counsellors and the importance of mental well-being and career planning.
- Conduct awareness programs on mental health and career planning.
- Identify and address behavioral, emotional, and academic challenges.
- Understanding psychosocial development of children.
- Identifying mental health problems among children and making appropriate referrals
- Conduct one –one counseling sessions on need of the student.
For Teachers and Parents:
- Collaborate with teachers to identify students needing support.
- Facilitate parental engagement in mental well-being and career guidance.
- Inform the Headmasters/Headmistresses of the selected schools about the deployment of counsellors and their responsibilities.
- Allocate two to three hours per week for counsellors to interact with students in each school through awareness programs, group discussions, and activities on mental well-being and career awareness.
- Encourage headmasters and teachers to work closely with counsellors by identifying students who may require support and sharing relevant insights to help counsellors understand the challenges faced by students.
- Ensure the active participation of parents in orientation sessions and encourage them to support their children in addressing mental health and career-related issues.
- Direct counsellors to conduct awareness programs for students on behavioral problems, academic challenges, emotional and physical issues, adolescent-related challenges, and career planning through interactive activities.
- Instruct counsellors to maintain detailed confidential records of their interactions, including the number of students reached, key observations, and suggestions for interventions. These records must be submitted to the PMU, GCDO, and DEO/APC bi-weekly.
- Provide necessary logistical support to counsellors for reaching the allocated schools efficiently.
- Ensure counsellors work under the guidance of the District GCDO and report their activities regularly to the GCDO.
- Conduct fortnightly review meetings with counsellors to track progress, address challenges and ensure smooth implementation of activities in schools
- State PMU and District GCDO must regularly monitor the counsellors work through visits or virtual check-ins to ensure adherence to the program objectives.
- Collect feedback from headmasters, teachers, and students regarding the counsellors performance to improve the effectiveness of the initiative.
- At the end of the first month, conduct a midterm evaluation to assess the program's progress, identify challenges, and implement necessary improvements.
- At the end of the two-month period, ensure counsellors submit a comprehensive report detailing their observations, outcomes, and recommendations for sustaining mental well-being and career guidance initiatives in schools.
Therefore, all the Regional Joint Directors in the State are requested to issue instructions to the District Educational Officers and Additional Project Coordinator, Samagra Shiksha for effective implementation of the career and Mental Health Counselling. The District Educational Officers and Additional Project Coordinator, Samagra Shiksha in the State are requested to give necessary instructions to the District GCDOs to allocate 8-10 schools from 8 Mandals to each District Career and Mental Health Counsellors and also requested to give instructions to School Headmasters/Headmistresses to allow counsellors to perform their duties effectively and support the initiative.
For further information, please contact: Sri. V.S.N. Murthy, State Girl Child Development Officer, Samagra Shiksha, Phone No: 9490186805, Email: gcdostatecmh123@gmail.com and G.Priyanka, Consultant, UNICEF Phone No: 8008673974, Email: gcdostatecmh123@gmail.com
Encls: List of Candidate