Counselling in Schools.. Is it Enough?

Most parents feel that schools can give the necessary college career and guidance for the planning to their children. But lessons learned from over 10 years of research studies show that students do not always have the help they need to make the best choices about life after school.

How much time for counseling does each student get?
38 minutes per year is the estimated amount of time the average student receives. This statistic is based on the national average ratio of students and counselor Counselor time allotment after 2005 research report entitled "Advice and Counseling College in America's High Schools" by Dr. Patricia McDonough.

Of course, this is an average. While the actual amount of time varies between schools and students, interviews with the parents show that it is a big concern. Despite the best intentions, the level of personal advice is not evenly distributed to all students.

"My child is a solid student. He is not at the top of his class, but he is not weak. School clearly pays the most attention to the students that are extraordinary ... either best or weakest. If you are not in one of these groups, you are not given attention."says the mother of a senior in Colorado from a large public high school.

Not enough consultants ... Too many claims
A brief look at the student-to-supervisor ratio throughout the country shows that there is simply not enough guidance advisers in each school, to the crowd of students and all the requirements for the counselors.

According to the report by Dr. McDonough,the ASCA recommends a guide for every 100 students, or a ratio 100:1. The actual student supervisor ratio in the entire nation is 315:1. That is three times the recommended level according to the NCES.


School Adviser is expected to sort out the issues of participation, discipline, drug and alcohol abuse, sexuality and pregnancy, suicide prevention, and personal crisis, together with academics and a number of other administrative tasks assigned to them.

Where does this leave school then? They are seen as "nice to haves" in many schools, because the time and the resources are not there to support them.

Not only a question of public schools.
The average student ratio consultants in the private high schools is estimated to be 241:1 according to the NCES. While this ratio is better than the public school ratio of 315:1, it is still more than two times the ASCA recommendation of 100:1.

Although private-pupil ratio consultants are better, the parents reported that their children receive guidance is almost exclusively on college advice and placement, not on what the students do when they graduate education.

Thus, it is better for you to talk to your wards on a regular basis and know which direction they are heading into. It may look like interference to them but they will be thankful to you later.

Actvites for kids

Learning science is real pleasure. The knowledge and activity and helps you to solve the problem and increase your understanding.

Before any experiment arrange all devices or objects. Keep a wash rag always at hand. An apron is a must. Conducting experiments in a room ventilated. Insist on a peer or a guide to be around to help in case of an accident.

A simple test of photosynthesis can be observed in the growth of a plant. Keep a plant in a dark room after watering. Bring the plant to light and put a camera film on one of its leaves. Plants require sunlight to build starch. The carbon dioxide in chlorophyll in the leaves also facilitate this process. The products of photosynthesis is the release of oxygen. When the film was removed from discoloration of the area covered is obvious.


Evaporation is the explanation of the water cycle. Due to sunlight, air evaporates from the sea, condenses to form clouds and precipitates to form raindrops. That can be easily explained after boiling water in a pan,observe the cover, it condenses to water which falls from the boat. Thus, the water cycle is clearly explained.

Static electricity is well known by combing hair. plastic combs acquire negative charge and hair acquires positive charge. This causes repulsion, and hence sometimes using a hairdryer results in single strands.

Germination is deemed in the best summer holidays. The growth of the plant from a seed is certainly a pleasure to watch. Water seeds buried in the ground. Water activates growth, the seed breaks and roots emerge. Roots dig into the soil and further form moreroots. The plant moves towards sunlight and soon becomes a tree with leaves and fruit.

These kind of activites can keep young teenagers busy throughout their summer vacatons!!!

Driving for Teenagers

Now that your teenager started to drive and is increasingly at ease with the whole process, decide whether you want to be empowered,and allow others to drive with the others in the car with them. This can be from your state laws, but you still have choices. Here are some factors in the decision on the top of the car with your youngsters.

1.What situations occur, that makes it necessary that your teenagers to have passengers in the car? You may find your practice for young people to meet, or just the other members of the family, the school or other activities. If you and the other adults in the house working outdoors, it may help the family to have another driver to help in this context. Another question that arises is, if your young one wants to drop other young people to a party or any other form of social function. You need to talk to the parents of the young people, before any further decisions.

2.How is your teenager adjusting to the responsibility with a license? Many young people are responsible and have the rules that you have. If that's the case with the young people, you should give them more freedom as long as they remain under the guidelines of the laws of your state.

3.What is the duration youngsters should be given, before you make any changes to the rules of the game? Many parents give their young six months of the probationary period, to decide how everything runs. Look at how your youngsters behave, since they have begun to drive. Has the behavior changed in a positive or negative way? Make discussion with all in the family. Let your youngster give opinions in the decision-making process.

After all these topics, you will be able to take a decision about your youth, after the passengers in the car,that they have to be responsible.