Quicklinks
Enquiries
- Email: inservice@nie.edu.sg
(for queries on course administration)
Do I Qualify?
Course participants are nominated and sponsored by Ministry of Education, Singapore. They are teachers who have working experience in pastoral care, guidance and counselling.
Objectives
Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:
- perform the school counsellor's role in guidance and counselling in the school,
- develop the characteristics of effective counsellors,
- use individual counselling skills to help students in need,
- conduct group guidance to enhance students' psychosocial well-being,
- highlight and create awareness among colleagues of important developmental issues and common problems of students,
- manage cases and counselling services in the school, and
- work with teachers, parents, and other professionals to effectively enhance student learning and development.
Structure
This 6-month full-time Diploma will have two main components: course work (21 AUs) and field work (I5 AUs), a total of 36 AUs. The course work comprises five modules. For field work, it will be conducted during a period of 15 weeks.
List of Modules
Course Work:
- IPS3001 Foundations of Individual Counselling (3 AUs)
- IPS3002 Foundations of Group Guidance (3 AUs)
- IPS3003 Working with Children and Youth: Special Issues and Problems (3 AUs)
- IPS3004 Working with Systems: School, Family and Community (3 AUs)
- IPS3005 Process and Techniques in Counselling (with Supervision) (9AUs)
Field Work:
Description of Courses
IPS3001 - Foundations of Individual Counselling
This module explores in depth the role of a school counselor in individual counseling. It is designed for school counselors to learn a systematic and integrative approach to school counselling, which incorporates the counsellor's characteristics, client's characteristics, counseling relationship, counselling process, counselling skills, and other relevant skills. Simulated counselling practice will be utilized throughout the course for counselling skill acquisition and development.
IPS3002 - Foundations of Group Guidance
The module seeks to provide course participants with the knowledge, skills, and understanding of developmental guidance in enhancing students' learning, social interaction and personal growth through group processes. Topics include group dynamics; group theories; developing effective groups; group nonns; life stages of a group; group communication; leadership; consensus decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict management. Participants will learn these through a variety of group activities, group discussions, simulated group guidance practice, and lectures.
IPS3003 - Working with Children and Youth: Special Issues and Problems
This module involves understanding of the theories, techniques and issues in working with children and adolescents. Topics include boy-girl relationships, gender issues, sexuality, Internet·related issues, family problems, mental health problems, grief and loss, suicide, self-injurious behaviours, gang and delinquency, violence and aggression. Participants in the course will also learn about clinical interviewing techniques with children and adolescents.
IPS3004 - Working with Systems: School, Family and Community
This module prepares course participants with the knowledge and skills required in working with the school system, families and community agencies in the school counselling practice. The course content comprises: MOE's Guidance & Counselling Services, school's pupil welfare programmes, team work, referral procedure, case management, filing/recording system, working with parents & families, working with social & health services professionals, tapping community resources, review & evaluation of services and programmes.
IPS3005 - Process and Techniques in Counselling (With Supervision)
This module has a strong application and pragmatic focus whereby participants are guided through detailed counselling processes including therapeutic relationships, intake assessment, case conceptualization, intervention, and tennination. Participants wiII learn to respond in a wide spectrum of situations such as crisis management, ethical dilemmas, and role conflicts. Through intensive individual and group supervisions, the Module challenges participants to develop a clear and systematic counselling framework and apply theoretically driven techniques with real clients in schools.
IPS3006 - Practicum in School Counselling
This subject is the field work component of this programme. It provides an opportunity for participants to apply the theories, techniques, skills in counselling to the school setting. Course participants are expected to write learning journals and keep log sheets in theirpracticum (field work) in schools.