Trategic status of director’s counsellor for education in a modern school: the view of learners and their parents

Abstract

Introduction. The modern educational process supposes close, purposeful interaction of pedagogues with parents, psychologists, social workers, representatives of state educational institutions; this implies a tireless joint search for new methods and techniques to develop social responsibility in education. Moreover, the awareness of the need to enhance the efficiency of this interaction has led to the establishment of a new position at school – director’s counsellor for education, included in the nomenclature of teaching staff positions. The aim of the study is to clarify the strategic status of the position of director’s counsellor for education, as viewed by the learners and their parents. Materials and methods. The survey encompassed 393 students and 299 parents from 3 pilot regions of the Russian Federation; the project aimed to introduce the position of director’s counsellor for education who would help the head of the educational institution to interact with other children’s public associations (Stavropol Region, Sevastopol, and Omsk Region). The respondents were offered questionnaires for learners consisting of 7 questions and those for parents comprising 13 questions related to their experience of interaction with the director’s counsellor for education. Results. Most of the interviewed learners (68.5%) admitted that they had had an experience of contacting the director’s counsellor for education. Although, in case of a problem, the learners would turn to their parents (69.5%), still half of the remaining percentage chose the counsellor (15.8%) as a trustee for their problems. A significant share of the learner respondents (39.2%) viewed the counsellor as a mentor who could provide real help. The learners (59%) expect maximum support from the counsellor in organising leisure activities; however, the counsellor is also needed to address the problems encountered in relations with the peers (19.1%) and pedagogues (19.1%). The analysis of the pupils’ answers has demonstrated a high level of trust between the learners and their parents. Some minor part of the respondents (4.3%) treated the counsellor as a mediator to be applied to for resolving their problems with the parents. According to most of the parents (53.9%), director’s counsellor for education is in demand in modern school. A total of 63.9% of the parents stated their willingness to cooperate with the counsellor as a mediator between them and their children. Conclusion. The director’s counsellor for education consolidates the efforts of all parties to the educational process and acts as a navigator in intra-school and inter-school leisure activities of the younger generation, including community activities, with regard for the current problems (educational problems, interaction between peers, between pedagogues and pupils, between learners and their parents). Keywords: director’s counsellor for education, parenting, education, strategic status of the counsellor, modern family, modern educational process, spiritual and moral values, social responsibility