Guidance needs of destitute children

This book presents the findings of the
first major and systematic study of the
guidance needs of children living in
destitute homes in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Attempts have been made to analyze and
integrate children's perceptions of their
own needs with the perceptions of super-
intendents of destitute homes and teachers
and heads of schools of their study, basing
them on the broad pedestal of data gath-
ered through interviews, observations,
assessment of academic achievement, in-
telligence testing and study of adjustment
patterns of these children. The findings
clearly bring into focus needs of destitute
home children pertaining to their health,
food, clothes and living conditions, per-
sonal and psychological relationships,
social activities and relationships, curri-
cular and co-curricular pragrammes, class
room teaching strategies, teacher-taught
relationships, learning environments, lear-
ning styles and vocal fitness; their achieve-
ment in school subjects; their level of
intellectual functioning; their adjustment
patterns and certain other aspects of their
personality. These findings also point out,
in unambiguous terms, to children's con-
cern for uncertain future, their clamouring
for decent living and deprivational effects
of lack of parental care and familial pro-
tection. The implications of the findings
indicate the need for chalking out a gui-
dance programme to cover up all the
aspects of children's life-personal, social,
educational and vocational-in which
superintendents of destitute homes, tea-
chers and heads of schools and guidance
bureaus may play a decisive role.