Student support staff and school counsellors have been awarded certificates after following a three-day online workshop in mentoring and wellbeing.
The certificate presentation ceremony took place on Friday at the Seychelles Institute of Teaching Education (Site) in the presence of the principal secretary for Educational Services, Merna Eulentin; the chief executive (CEO) of RILA Institute of Health and Sciences, Georgina Dhillon and other education staff.
The workshop held from August 25-27, 2021 is an introduction to a Postgraduate Diploma in Mentoring and Well-being organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the RILA Institute of Health and Sciences based in the United Kingdom. During the three-day workshop the student support staff and counsellors from both primary and secondary schools were presented with the theoretical knowledge pertaining to counselling, history and definition of counselling and introduction to the nervous system.
PS Eulentin expressed that the ceremony is fitting as it marks the beginning of an important journey in the professional development of student support staff and counsellors, providing psycho-social services for schools.
She added that the 38 participants had sessions with experts from professional areas.
The main themes of the workshop were the importance of person-centred care, counselling in children, managing challenging behaviour, conduct problems and aggression and support for people with mental illness with the focus being on self awareness and reflective practice skills, data collection, self care and skills geared towards improving staff’s personal capacity.
PS Eulentin highlighted that this is in line with the ministry’s strategic direction to promote and facilitate a value-based education model.
Desirée Hermitte, chief counsellor of the student services section, added that this is only the beginning for the awardees as they will later be able to pursue a Masters in Counselling and become licensed professionals.
Ms Hermitte hopes that they will continue with the programme for other counsellors in the future.
Source: Seychelles Nation
