Die assistent–sielkundige in die sielkundige en voorligtingsdiens van die Transvaalse Onderwysdepartement

[摘要] The psychological and guidance service is an ancillary serviceestablished by the Transvaal Education Department with a view toproblems which may arise in the school and family situation.For more than sixty years this service has rendered invaluableservice to the pupils of Transvaal. This investigation revealedthat during the past five years this service has expanded considerably.On the 30th June 1974 there were twenty four Child GuidanceClinics with an establishment of one hundred and sixty one posts.These clinics serve the 24 inspection circuits into which theTransvaal has been divided. They are situated at Pietersburg,Nylstroom, Pretoria (4), Rustenburg, Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom,Krugersdorp, Roodepoort, Vereeniging, South Rand, Johannesburg(3), East Rand (4), Ermelo, Nelspruit and Middelburg. Eachclinic has 5 different members of staff, namely a psychologist(clinical), a psychologist (vocational guidance), a psychologist (orthodidactic), an assistant psychologist and a speech therapist.In order to render meaningful service it is imperative that theassistant psychologist should be trained and that as an educationist must know exactly what his field and function is. Theminimum requirement for appointment to the post of assistantpsychologist is at present classification into category C(three years training after the attainment of the standard tencertificate or equivalent qualification) and seven years teaching experience.Nowhere do we find an exact ad hoc description of the field andfunction of the assistant psychologist, As a result of thisand practical experience as an assistant psychologist it wasconcluded that there was a very real need for this study.After lengthy discussions with the authorities of the TransvaalEducation Department the need for this study was thus confirmed,The purpose of this study was to investigate the independenceof the assistant psychologist as an integral member of thechild guidance clinic team by clearly formulating his field,function and training.In this study we are primarily concerned with the field, functionand training of the assistant psychologist, although referencewill be made to the other members of the service.The information used in this investigation was mainly obtainedfrom South African and overseas literature on this subject.Permission to undertake this study was granted by the TransvaalEducation Department Education Bureau.The post of the assistant psychologist attached to the childguidance clinics of the Transvaal Education Department originated in a urgently felt need for personnel to assist pupilswith educational-social problems. In the beginning relativelyhigh training requirements were necessary to qualify for thispost, e.g. a B.A.-degree with psychology, sociology and socialwork plus a teachers diploma. It appears however that thetraining requirements have been lowered considerably - categoryC, i.e. three year training is now accepted.As a result of inadequately trained staff the quality of theservice has deteriorated. Furthermore this study revealed thatthe field and function of the assistant psychologist has neverbeen clearly outlined. This fact caused great uncertainty forthe assistant psychologist.This uncertainty regarding his field and function also resultedin the various titles given to this post, e.g. visiting teacher,assistant school psychologist, assistant school psychologist(visiting), assistant psychologist (visiting) and assistantpsychologist. Although services to pupils with educational socialproblems are rendered in the U.S.A., Holland and inEngland, the titles given to these personnel differ. In theU.S.A. and in Holland the person rendering these services iscalled the school social worker. In England the EducationWelfare Officer is responsible for this task.In spite of the fact that the assistant psychologist is regardedas a member of the Child Guidance Clinic-team, the low trainingrequirements as well as the uncertainty with regards to hisexact field and function has led to the situation where he hasan inferior position; his salary and status is much lower thanthe other school psychologists attached to the Child GuidanceClinics of the Transvaal Education Department. The independence of his discipline as such has not yet been realised.As soon as a situation of tension arises that has a negative influence on the pupil's behaviour at school and in the home theprincipal completes a form which is sent to the child guidanceclinic for the circuit inspector. The school psychologist(social) must then identify the educational-social problem.In the U.S.A. the school social worker is a member of the schoolstaff and teachers report pupils in need of attention directlyto him. In Holland and in England the principal of the schoolreports pupils in need of professional help to the schoolsocial worker and the Educational Welfare Officer. After theproblem has been outlined, an investigation is instituted.Except for the U.S.A. where the school social worker is a memberof the school staff, the school social worker in Holland and theEducational Welfare Officer in England, visits the schools.In the Transvaal the school psychologist (social) visits theschool and interviews the principal and/or the member of staffwho reported the problem. All information and sources ororigin is recorded and placed in a special child guidance clinicfile opened for the pupil.The pupil is interviewed at the school, where all the necessaryinformation is obtained. The parents may be invited to theschool for an interview or this may be conducted at their home.The interview which is conducted at the home serves the purposeof examining the parents view of the situation involving theirchild. All information and observations are recorded andplaced in the pupils file at the child guidance clinic.The pupils personal child guidance clinic file must give a comprehensive picture of the situation and must contain the following:(a) Details of identification(b) Purpose of interview(c) Introductory remarks(d) Sources of information(e) Family history(f) Family relationships(g) Home circumstances and environment(h) Diagnosis(i) Prognosis(j) RecommendationsThe school psychologist (social) is responsible for the therapeutic placement of pupils in school hostels. This therapeuticplacement concerns pupils whose behaviour and circumstances areof such a nature that they do not need placement in a clinicschool.The Transvaal Education Department has three clinic schools.In co-operation with school psychologist (clinical) the schoolpsychologist (social) places pupils whose educational-socialproblems warrant placement in these clinic schools. Pupilsplaced in these clinic schools receive treatment and must bedecertified and reunited with their own parents as soon as possible, because of the importance of the home. This means thatsimultaneous attention must be given to parent and child.Regular home visits must be carried out by the school psychologist (social); he also visits the clinic schools and reportsback to the parents. Parents are encouraged to visit theirchild at the clinic school. This gives the staff of the .clinicschool the opportunity of getting to know the parents.Even after the pupil has been decertified, completed hisschooling, been placed in a school hostel or started work, theschool psychologist (social) must continue his advisory serviceto the pupil and his parents.It is also the task of the school psychologist (social) to advisepupils and their parents in regard to exemption from compulsoryschool attendance. He does this in co-operation with the schoolpsychologist (vocational guidance).The school psychologist (social) must possess a sound knowledgeof community resources and their use. He is the link betweenhome and child and the community. He liaisons with the follow=ing: Department of Social Welfare and Pensions, Department ofNational Education, C.M.R., S.A.V.F., Child Welfare Society,S.A.P., schools and other religious bodies and organizations whocan assist the child and his parents.As far as preventative services are concerned the school psychologist (social) has an important function. An example of thesepreventative services is the following: he will address parent-teachermeetings, church youth meetings etcetera. During theselectures he must choose subjects referring to child educationand bring to their notice the services offered by the childguidance clinic.The school psychologist (social) must treat all information inhis possession as confidential.In the expanding science and profession of educational psychology,the school psychologist (social) is at best an adolescent in hisdevelopment. Like an adolescent, he grows, changes almostbeyond recognition, faces new demands, fresh opportunities. Andin youthful fashion he may try out many roles in the search foran identity with meaning for him.The unprecedented demand for the services of the school psychologists (social), the many contemporary pressures upon the schools,and the extension of educational psychological knowledge allsuggest that the present is a crucial time for the profession.A careful reassessment of the place of psychologist serving theschools is imperative if the profession is to push forwardrather than slip backward. Such a rethinking must project intothe future roles that take into fullest account the use of theparticular knowledge and skills educational psychology andsocial work has to offer, now or in coming years. Such re-examinationshould relate these roles to the needs and concernsof schools as they change with the times.Until such time as the roles of the helping professions are moreclearly structured in the schools and child guidance clinics,there will doubtless be some overlap in functions between theschool psychologists (social) and psychologists in many schoolsettings. The chances are good, however, that there will be morethan enough work for both groups. The school psychologist(social) is fortunate who has guidance teachers in his schoolswith whom he can share the load. With the great manpower needsin the helping professions, the chief problem is one of providingthe opportunities for each profession to use its greatest potential in working to meet the needs of school children. In such mutual endeavours school social work and school psychology canbecome strong and effective allies.Taking the above into consideration the following recommendationsare made:(1) The independence of this discipline will be realised oncethe status and salary of the school psychologist (social) isbrought in line with that of other school psychologists inthe child guidance clinics.(2) The Psychological and Guidance Service of the TransvaalEducation Department must furnish the school psychologist(social) with a clear outline of his field and function.(3) The training requirements of the school psychologist (social)must be revised. Only people in possession of a B.A. degreewith Psychology and Social Work as major subjects.plus a teaching diploma as well as the B.Ed. degree withspecialization in Socio-Pedagogics or Guidance must beappointed to these posts.(4) Equal ability to teach in both official languages must bestated as a requirement, i.e. only people in possession ofthe language endorsement (AE or EA) must be appointed.(5) The qualifications of more than half of the present assistant-psychologistattached to the Child Guidance Clinics of theTransvaal Education Department are too low to qualifyand are therefore not equipped to render these professionalservices. These people however have had valuable experience and must be granted the opportunity by the Transvaal Education Department to improve their qualifications.(6) The title of the post of the assistant psychologist must bereplaced by the title school psychologist (social).This title is a true reflection of this person's training,field and function. The school psychologist (social) isprimarily an educationist who has also been trained insocial work and psychology.(7) In co-operation with universities the Child Guidance Clinicsmust be prepared to accept potential school psychologists(social) for practical training. After training the schoolpsychologist (social) must undergo an internship of at leastone term at a Transvaal Education Department Child GuidanceClinic.(8) For the benefit of the Clinic School Children and theirparents, a member of the Child Guidance Clinic team must beavailable at every Child Guidance Clinic during schoolholidays.(9) The appointment to every school of trained guidance teacherswill assure that the quality of service rendered by thescho9l psychologist (social) will be more purposeful andbeneficial.(10) Research in regard to the services rendered by the TransvaalEducation Department's Psychological and Guidance Serviceshould be undertaken. The Transvaal Education Departmentshould make bursaries available to this end.(II) In conclusion it is recommended that the universitiestraining the school psychologist (social) must give asmuch practical training as possible.

[发布机构] North-West University