Counseling

Generalists or Specialists? Guidance Officers in Queensland Schools

“…For many years school psychologists/ guidance officers have had a difficult role in the schools as they have attempted to bridge science and practice. Pine (1976) and Hays (1980) have documented the many early challenges faced by the profession and Avis (1982) outlined the debate which has arisen about their role in the schools. Some early criticisms include that school psychologists/guidance officers should be more involved in the classroom (Carpenter, 1979), should be less isolated from school business and should have better documented roles and responsibilities for which they can be held accountable (Valine, Higgins, & Harcher, 1982).…”

Counsellor roles and perceptions of training

“…While it has not been difficult to identify counselling as a legitimate exercise in many education settings, there has been at least some debate about the role of counsellors in primary and secondary schools (see e.g. Avis, 1982). While counsellors in many education systems had a clearly defined job description, many were able to focus on aspects of their job which held specific interest for them,…”