(Young) Newcomers in European societies:Implications for education and counselling

This paper analyzes the political, cultural andethnic aspects of the situation that (young)newcomers have to face after arrival inEuropean societies. They often will experienceculture shock, and in the case of refugees,sequential traumatization. This analysis leadsto a consideration of its implications foreducation and counselling. It is argued thatcounsellors should help newcomers to develop a`survival kit', to be able to cope with theirnew situation.     

Counsellor training in two different cultures

This article compares and contrasts counsellor training programmes of two institutions (University of Reading, United Kingdom and University of Ilorin, Nigeria) from two different cultures. Areas of differences as reflected in the objectives and curricular contents of the two porgrammes are observed to be dictated by the needs of the two societies.     

Education and citizenship in diverse societies

The question of the state's role in the control of sponsorship of education is addressed in the light of liberal political principles designed to keep peace and enforce toleration in culturally diverse societies. Some contemporary, self-described liberal philosophers argue for a much more substantial educational role for the state than liberal principles will really allow. Brian Barry's argument for that role assumes that the state can prescribe answers to controversial questions regarding the truth and the good life in which a truly liberal state would take no interest. Stephen Macedo is more accommodating to religious diversity than Barry, but his argument fails because of his rashly optimistic view of the state's effectiveness in promoting civic virtue and the possibility of reconciling that role with fundamental liberal values. Liberal regimes do not depend on civic education, even under conditions of diversity. Their life-blood is toleration and dissent rather than the widespread diffusion of civic virtue.     

Portraits of resilience: headteachers in two different cultures

This article provides two ‘portraits’ of headteachers in primary schools in England and Hong Kong, derived from semi-structured interviews with these individuals. Contrary to some claims that such a small sample is worthless, this article argues that what is most meaningful is sometimes derived from the singular and unique; that generalisations in education are as likely to be useful if they are ‘fuzzy’ generalisations as if they are from scientific or statistical generalisations; and that the individual case can strip away the clutter of large contexts and allow recognition of a common shared humanity. What these portraits also show is that responses to larger contexts are heavily dependent on personality and local context, and that if policy implementation and professional development are to have impact, then an attention to the personal and the local are going to be critical factors in any success in these areas.     

Metaphors and client change in counselling

Counseling is a primarily verbal activity where it can often be difficult to differentiate the literal from the metaphorical in clients' communications. Acceptance of metaphor as a genuine form of clients' experience and communication could provide counselors with viable medium for effecting change. Understanding our clients' metaphors, utilizing their metaphors for change, or constructing and presenting our own therapeutic metaphors requires learning certain skills and awarenesses. After a brief theoretical examination of metaphors and metaphoric processing, this article outlines skills and considerations for recognizing, using, creating, and delivering effective metaphors in counseling.     

Guidance and counselling in New Zealand

By conventional indices, the standards of living and education in New Zealand are among the highest in the world. Guidance and counselling services have been developing since the 1920s, and a sound research literature is now emerging. The main divisions of non-medical personnel are clinical psychologists, vocational counsellors, social workers, educational psychologists, guidance counsellors and visiting teachers. In schools, guidance networks have been developed to formalize functions and relationships for effective delivery of services. For social workers, training is provided mainly within government departments, but there are also university programmes for them and for all personnel except visiting teachers. Current needs include more programme evaluation and further development of professional supervision, but a sound indigenous basis in research, training, and service delivery has been laid.     

A comparison of Thai and American counselling students perceptions of counselling

The expectancies that people of different cultures bring to counselling affect the outcomes of counselling. It was the purpose of this study to examine the ways that counselling students in two different countries, Thailand and the United States, perceived Counselling. The evaluative and potency scales of the Semantic Differential were used to compare the attitudes of these students related to Counselling, Counsellors, and Group Counselling. No significant difference were found in the ratings of the two groups of students on the evaluative scale for Counselling, Counsellors, or Group Counselling, but the American students rated the potency scales for these three variables significantly higher than the Thai students. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Parental involvement in children's schooling: Different meanings in different cultures

Three types of parent involvement—communicating, volunteering at school, and learning at home—were explored in two cultures within the United States. Immigrant Chinese parents and European American parents of young children reflect their different traditions in the ways they involve themselves in their child's academic life. European American parents volunteered more in schools, while Chinese American parents focused more on systematic teaching of their children at home. Chinese American parents were more critical of typical primary school report cards without ABC grades. Parents’ home teaching methods showed stability over time, demonstrating that parents who used formal, structured methods at Time 1 continued to do two and four years later.     

论价值、教育价值与价值教育

当代西方迅速崛起的“价值教育”思潮以其巨大的声势影响着教育实践的发展，本文站在教育哲学层面从马克思主义教育哲学角度，对价值、教育价值和价值教育问题进行分析，并结合对西方“价值教育”思潮的评述，提出在中国今天的教育改革中同样可以借鉴这一思潮，以推进当前深入开展的素质教育，同时，也有助于人文精神的弘扬和民族素质的构建。     

Training courses in personal counselling

The paper, Training Courses in Personal Counselling, by J. M. Fuster starts by depicting the local situation in India. On the one hand, much personal counselling is done by astrologers, palm-readers and elders; and, on the other hand, training programmes in personal counselling are either non-existent or of poor quality in Indian Universities. Hence the urgent need for good training programmes in personal counselling.In order to meet this need, though in a very limited way, the author started Xavier Institute of Counselling at St. Xavier's College, Bombay. He trains people on the model of counselling of Carkhuff since 1973. Thus he has conducted 34 training courses of, at least, 50 hours duration each for 402 trainees in 5 countries India. Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Spain and Italy.The author gives a picture of the population that benefits from these courses in terms of the various professions they belong to. He also reports the findings of an evaluative study, which was started in 1978. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of the training courses on the past trainees' daily work. 262 questionnaires were sent to past trainees in India and Sri Lanka. 94 of them or 35 per cent were returned. Based on the data of these 94 returns, it appears that, on the average, the training courses in personal counselling have had a helpful influence on this group of 94 past trainees. About the rest, we can only guess from these data, but we do not know for sure. I say on the average, for the ranges of the ratings on the 20 items of the questionnaire were 3 to 5 for most items in the diploma-holders group, and 1 to 5 for a few items and 2 to 5 foor most items in the nondiploma-holders group.That means that, while for most of the 94 past trainees the courses have had a very helpful or helpful influence in most items of the questionnaire, they have had a negative or very negative influence on some items of the questionnaire for a very few trainees.From the remarks they wrote on the questionnaire, it appears that some trainees had joined the course in search of therapy for their own personal problems. As this was not the objective of the course, their need was not met. As one trainee wrote: After attending a course of therapy for three months immediately after the counselling course, I feel that the counselling course was a waste of time, energy and money. From this remark we trainers should learn to screen the candidates for the course very carefully and to ascertain their needs.Table I gives a picture of the past trainees in terms of their professions. Tabel II shows the statements of the questionnaire and the mean ratings given by the diploma-holders group and by the nondiploma-holders group. A Chart shows graphically the model of Carkhuff.