Group of experts

We have done an activity called "Group of experts" 

We divided into groups of four people. And each person had to read a text about a topic. Later he or she had to take notes about the text because he or she had to explain the text to the rest of the group. The aim was to focus in the Spanish context. The topics were:

1. SPAIN: GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD.

2.SPAIN: GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

3.SPAIN: GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN A LIFELONG LEARNING APPROACH.
4. SPAIN: SUPPORT MEASURES FOR LEARNERS IN ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
Then, We are going to focus in each topic.
1.SPAIN: GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD.

General approach:

What is it about? Fundamental intervention in order to improve education quality based on the principles of prevention, development and global intervention.

Who is it for? It is for all students, families and education professionals.

Who provides it? It is carried out by trained and prestigious professionals, such as tutors, teachers, counselors and in extreme situations social workers.  It depends on the specific needs of each student.

Main guidance functions:

-          Educative prevention and intervention (inclusion of new students, adaption to the school…)

-          Guidance and psycho-pedagogical counseling

-          Academic and professional guidance

-          Support the tutorial action plan.

-          Diagnose (evaluation for psycho pedagogic purposes.

-          Preparation and development of institutional documents.

-          Teaching (counselors basically in ESO also teach)

Organization in intervention levels: 

-          Classroom level (mainly  carried out by teachers)

-          Direct intervention at schools (counselors are responsible for setting up prevention measures, diagnosis and intervention with students apart from some administrative work).

-          Specific intervention with schools (external support to the direct intervention).

Specific for Early Childhood:

-          Classroom level:  Developed by the teacher in order to ensure the pupil´s satisfactory integration in the group of classmates.

-          Direct intervention at schools:  predominance of guidance structures that are external to schools but provided within the schools.

-          Specific intervention with schools: Professionals that cooperate with counselors providing an extra help if and when need it.  Social workers, neuropediatrics, psychologists, speech trainers… could be examples of these professionals.

2.SPAIN: GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

In order to have a better conception of what Spanish guidance and counseling in high education is referring to, we are going to focus on the following issues:

-          Who receives school guidance and counseling.

-          Specific measures provided.

Financial aids for students.

Organizational options and alternative structures.

Specific measures for disabled students.

Specific programs for victims of terrorism and victims of gender-based violence.

-          Measures promoted by the statute of the university student.

-           Measures promoted by the Spanish Ministry of education.

-           Measures promoted by the Spanish Public Employment Service.

School guidance and counseling is directed to a specific target group which includes: Students with needs related to disability, highly gifted students, and economically disadvantaged students. Besides, special attention is paid to:  people with family responsibilities, victims of gender-based violence and victims of terrorism.

In order to guarantee that nobody is excluded from university because of economic reasons, some basics grants, aids and credits are provided. It includes: general grants and aids (Its awarding depending on the state and the Autonomous Communities). Special grants and aids (for specific academic achievement), graduation project grants (expenditure on academic material), grants for students with specific needs (to pay the needed activities in order to improve some kind of disability).

It is also proposed the existence of other basic structures apart from the assistance way of learning such as:  Distance learning at university, UNED (related with degrees), and the Center for innovation and development of distance education, CIDEAD, (linked with a training education).

For disabled students, apart from financial aids, universities carry out adaptations to access their curriculum, studies or installations and buildings. Its aim is to guarantee their access, entry, stay and exercise of academic degrees. Furthermore, for students who are victims of terrorism universities carry out personalized aid.

Besides of what it has been said, the Statute of the university student takes into account some ways for providing guidance and attention comprehensive activities for university students. For instance: tutorial systems (incorporating information, guidance and training support actions for students), tutorship (guidance and cross curricular monitoring on their degree) or units for attention to students (They provide psychological and health guidance).

The Ministry of Education is also interested in giving some basic tasks to ensure school guidance and counseling. Most of them are focused on academic issues like: flexibility to work and study, action plans for student’s participation in university life, aids to make easier the transition between pre-university levels and university environments…

Finally, Spanish Public Employment Service will help students at the end of their degrees in order to find and job by informing them about the existing training and professional choices.

3.SPAIN: GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN A LIFELONG LEARNING APPROACH

4.SPAIN: SUPPORT MEASURES FOR LEARNERS IN ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING.