Need and Importance of Guidance

Life problems are becoming more and more complex. Traditional mores and personal convictions
concerning rightness and wrongness of attitude and behaviour are breaking down. Many diverse
factors inherent within our home, school and social and occupational activities and relationships pull
us in different directions. We often find ourselves in such a state of confusion and bewilderment that
it is difficult to steer ahead without the help of a proper guide.

It has been assumed that more is the advancement and modernisation; more will be the need for
guidance. It will be needed from the point of the individual, (i.e. interests, attitudes, aptitudes,
personality etc.) from the view of society (i.e. team work, socialisation, migration, job performance
etc). The absence of guidance may result all types of wastages. If a person makes a wrong selection
of profession, he is simply wasting his energy. If a student, having attitude for Arts subjects, takes up
Science subjects, he is also wasting his time, money and energy. If all these persons had made use of
guidance services, they would have made the proper use of human energy. It reveals that every
individual or student stands in great need of guidance service.

We are all witness to the increasing problems of millions of children addicted to drugs and alcohol,
alarming number of abused children, teen suicides, gender bias disgraceful number of homeless,
resurfacing of various forms of prejudices, crime, violence, the school dropout and unemployment
problems, bankruptcy of values pervading all over the world and more so in the third world
countries. Many of these problems not only require remedial treatment but more importantly,
preventive efforts of the guidance profession, if they are to reduce to any degree.

Guidance helps an individual achieve well on various areas personal and social life, as well as in
educational and career pursuits, which would ultimately help in proper utilization of manpower. A
society consisting of well-achieving and adjusted individuals would contribute more to achieving the
national and social goals. Such a society would also have individuals who are aware of social
problems and can deal with them more humanely.

We shall highlight the need for guidance considering some reasons and factors:

1. Different stages of development. The bringing up of the human beings can be divided into the
stages of infant, childhood, pre-adolescent, adolescence and manhood. One needs different types of
help to adjust with every stage. The maximum problems are faced at the time of adolescence, when
there are problems due to physical development, mental development, emotional development and
social development.

2. Differences among persons. Psychology reveals that no two persons are alike and no two person
get similar opportunities in life. Hence, every individual needs the help of guidance service, in order
to know the particular kind of profession for which he is most suited.

3. Changing conditions of work. Gone are the days when a child was supposed to take up the
profession of his father for earning his livelihood. Now-a-days professions or occupations have
become so varied and so complex that everyone has at first to get general education and then to
undergo a long training for the profession to be adopted. He has also to get a special education
pertaining to that profession.

4. Educational growth. Guidance is needed for development of abilities and skills facilitating learning
and achievement, and habits and skills for lifelong learning.
5. Career Maturity. Guidance is required for the development of healthy and positive attitudes,
habits, values, etc. towards work through broadening aware of the world of work, planning and
preparing for one’s career.

6. Psycho-social development. Guidance is required for assistance for understanding and developing
a positive self-image and development of social skills for learning an effective and satisfying personal-
social life.

7. Guidance for good family life. It includes working with parents and children for understanding of
family relationship, attitudes towards home and role of family for healthy growth.

8. Guidance for good citizenship. Guidance creates an understanding of socio-cultural values and
awareness of social issues, concerns and problems, overcoming prejudices, developing right attitudes
and values of co-operation, tolerance, righteousness and social justice for peace and equality.
Promoting ideas and values of democratic and secular constitution and promoting unity and national
integration.

9. Guidance for channelization of manpower requirements. Efforts at development and

channelization of individual potential with a view to meeting manpower and social requirements for
national growth and betterment of society.

10. Proper use of leisure time. Today many individuals waste their precious time with a lot of
unhealthy activities. People need to be guided to use their leisure time profitably. Proper balancing
of work and family is also important. Many youngsters roam around the streets with nothing to do,
having no purpose in life, waste away their health and time through drugs, alcohol, gambling etc.
Guidance will help them to make use of their leisure time to achieve happiness, to enhance their
education and career advancement.

11. Lack of Instructions at home. There is a lack of guidance for the young ones at home. In the past,
home acted as the most important agency of informal education. The children followed the
instructions given by parents and elders. Today, many parents are failed in this responsibility. They
are too busy in their work and transfer this responsibility to the teachers who are also not in a
position to guide them with their own responsibilities. So there is a need for guidance cell in schools.

12. Improvement in the status of women. Due to the influx of women in almost all spheres including
active defence services, more and more women are taking up jobs. Because of the double
responsibility of home and office, women are facing all kinds of trauma, anxiety and stress. They
need guidance to adjust to this changing scenario, especially in a male dominated society.