Teo-Education.Com

JOHOR BARU: School counsellors have been urged to monitor troubled students closely in the wake of a 13-year-old’s suicide.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said that they should detect such ‘special cases’ early and provide counselling.

Dr Wee said that counsellors should work with parents to keep each other up-to-date.

“Parents should know how to communicate with their children and be mindful of young teenagers’ rebellious natures,” he said.

Dr Wee was commenting on the death of Muhamad Faiz Abdul Aziz, 13, who hanged himself after being told by his father to wash his motorcycle.

On Sunday night, the teenager was found dead in the bathroom by his mother. He had tied a rope to a railing and hanged himself.

The boy was rushed to the Pontian Hospital but died at about 2am on Monday.

Earlier that evening, Muhamad Faiz had gone on a joy ride to Benut on his motorcycle and was apparently scolded by his father when he returned.

by Farik Zolkepli.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/25/nation/6129310&sec=nation

KOTA KINABALU:  Sabah lacks qualified counsellors, a seminar on counselling education revealed.

According to Haji Darus Nasir, group education development manager from the Yayasan Sabah Group, it was highlighted during a one-day seminar held at Menara Tun Mustapha yesterday that this was especially so in primary and secondary schools.

Darus said there were not many student counsellors in primary schools in the State, and that the situation was ‘much worse’ in secondary schools, and government and private organisations were not exempted as well.

He was speaking after the closing of the ‘Counselling Education II’ seminar organised by the Yayasan Sabah Group with the collaboration of UMS at the Menara Tun Mustapha yesterday.

The seminar, themed “Excellent Practice in the Helping Profession”, was attended by 330 people from the teaching and counselling professions as well as students. Its objective was to impart the latest teachings and information on counselling to participants.

Topics included motivational interviewing and counselling methods, obstacles and limitations in counselling and regulations pertaining to counselling, with contributions by guest speakers from the Health Department, State Education Department, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM), and Pasukan Polis Di Raja Malaysia (PDRM).

Dr. Johan Arriffin Datuk Haji Abdul Samad, deputy director of Yayasan Sabah Group, who officiated the seminar’s closing ceremony said he hoped the input gleaned from the seminar would encourage participants to apply the teachings at work.

In addition, counsellors should also have the initiative to improve their work standard in order to provide clients with quality service, said Dr. Johan.

He added that in line with Yayasan Sabah Group’s aspiration to develop human capital, it will continue to hold seminars on topics in parenting and education, socio-economy and socio-cultural, and career development, among others.

On underprivileged students, Dr. Johan said YSG will spend RM27 million on sponsoring education for 2,215 students this year.

Meanwhile, Darus said the seminar was organised every two years and in view of the tremendous response from the public this year, the seminar will be held annually beginning next year.

Darus also suggested a body be set up to address the lack of qualified counsellors in the State to the government.

Source:

http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/36098

An Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey in February 2006 highlighted that over the last few years the counselling profession has grown at a rate of 23.1%, outgrowing all other Occupations by more than 200%.

The Community Services and health industries underpin the national economy and workforce. They are the 4th largest employer group, the 2nd fastest growing industry over the last 5 years and has the fastest industry growth rate predicted in next 5 years (DEWR 2005)

Graph 3 – Main employing industries (Source: http://www.jobsearch.gov.au/joboutlook/default.aspx?PageId=SpecOccCat&CatCode=108)

Take At Look At These Staggering Statistics…

This is your time to make a difference in this high demand profession.

Please take a moment to discover how you can develop the skills and confidence to pursue your passion of becoming an accredited Counsellor.

Imagine Being Passionate About Your Work and Assisting People Everyday Lead Better lives.

It’s rare these days to hear people talk about their work with true passion. You hear so many stories of people working to pay the bills; putting up with imperfect situations; and compromising on their true desires.

That’s why it’s always so refreshing to hear regular stories from graduates living their dream to be a Counsellor. They’re always so full of energy, enthusiasm and passion. There’s no doubt that counselling is one of the most personally rewarding and enriching professions.

Just imagine someone comes to you for assistance. They’re emotionally paralysed by events in their life. They can’t even see a future for themselves. They can only focus on their pain and grief. The despair is so acute it pervades their entire life. Their relationship is breaking down and heading towards a divorce. They can’t focus on work and are getting in trouble with their boss. They feel they should be able to handle their problems alone, but know they can’t. It makes them feel helpless, worthless. Their self esteem has never been lower. They’re caught in a cycle of destruction and pain.

Now imagine you have the knowledge and skills to help this person overcome their challenges. You assist to relieve their intense emotional pain. You give them hope for the future. You assist to rebuild their self esteem and lead a satisfying, empowered life.

As a Counsellor you can experience these personal victories every day. And it’s truly enriching. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping another person overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.

Learn About Yourself As You Help Others

Life can be challenging at times. We’re forced to confront issues we’re not prepared for. Unfortunately, we’re not born into this world with a user manual. We’re required to go through life doing the best we can. Sure we have friends and family to help us, but they’re also just doing the best they can.

A wonderful benefit of becoming a Counsellor is the self-learning. Becoming a Counsellor is an enjoyable journey of self discovery. Counselling is a science of personal effectiveness. An understanding of counselling principles provides you with a clear understanding of yourself, as well as those around you.

As a Counsellor you’ll understand why you feel, think and behave as you do. And you’ll be able to implement strategies in your own life so that you’re happier, healthier, and more able to face life’s challenges.

Source:

http://www.aipc.net.au/lz2/advert.php?gclid=COHmq_PNw54CFckvpAodPW9rpQ

MALAYSIA is facing a shortage of counsellors and there is a need for public institutions of higher learning to address this problem.