Vipralhou Kesiezie and others during counselling seminar for trainees of diploma in school counselling held in Kohima on September 20. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | September 20
A two-day long counselling seminar for trainees of one year diploma in school counselling (2022-2023 batch) under the auspices of State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT), Nagaland and sponsored by Samagra Shiksha Nagaland, got underway today at SIEMAT Hall, SCERT, Kohima.
Addressing the inaugural session this morning, SCERT Retd director, Vipralhou Kesiezie said that the world is changing at a terrifying speed. Strange things are happening everyday and most of the things are shocking and frightening, he said.
From the counselling point of view, addressing human problems would be endless, he said adding that the problems we face today are many and multi-faceted. New problems are emerging now and then. “Therefore, the human problems we will be dealing will be from the simple emotional problem to the most complicated problem which will be against the principalities and powers and the rulers of this world and also against spiritual wickedness in high places as mentioned in the Bible,” Kesiezie said.
Today, the problems we are being faced with, is a battle between the good and the devil, which is more of spiritual than psychological in nature.
Talking on ‘dark lifestyles,’ change of sex, gay and lesbian culture, Artificial Intelligence (AI) robots, he said that the devil is really at work against humanity. “These powers are above our understanding and power,” he said and felt that to deal with such challenges, we need spiritual understanding and God’s wisdom for human alone could not fight against these unnatural powers. “The devil is not taking rest as even the most intellectual people are going after the power of the so called “popular culture,” the dark culture, he said.
The Retd director said that the child is the most vulnerable target at home, school, community, working places etc. He said that modern world is no more safe for the child. They are being preyed upon by predators and perpetrators.
Many children lives have been destroyed even before they could understand between good and evil, he added. “Now coming to the common problems, we will be dealing with children with their studies, broken homes, problematic children, children with emotional and psychological problem, etc,” Kesiezie said. Describing the school counselling as a very important service, he was hopeful that many psychological and emotional problems associated with school children will be addressed.
Earlier, the inaugural session was led by Dr Zavise Rume, Professor & Head, Guidance & Counselling Cell, SCERT Nagaland.
The counselling seminar will continue till September 21.
About school counselling
It may be recalled that SCERT Nagaland launched six months certificate course in school counselling in April 2018, becoming the first SCERT in the whole country to introduce school counselling. School counselling is a comprehensive programme designed for ‘normal children’ in the school with an aim to enhance overall academic performance and all round personality development of a child.
SCERT stated that school counselling is a continuous process of catering to the needs of mental and emotional well being of a child. SCERT stated that the need for counselling has become more significant in the context of the Right to Education Act 2009 which ensures every child of the country an education free of mental anxiety and emotional stresses.
Three major components covered under school counselling includes; personal- social competencies, academic development and career development.
The diploma course has been designed for school teachers so as to train them in the basic theory and practice of basic counselling skills with the objective to enable them to act as school counsellors in Nagaland, according to SCERT Nagaland.
