BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Department of School’s Counselling and Careers Section is considering introducing a full-time degree course in Counselling for school counsellors in the Sultanate.

Acting Assistant Director, Ali Yusri Abd Ghafor, who is also Assistant Head Counselling and Careers Section at the School Department, said that the programme was in response to the requests by school counsellors with a diploma in Counselling.

He said that the discussions between the department and the higher education institutions are still under way.

Ali Yusri said that the suggestion would be forwarded to higher education institutions such as Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) and the Seri Begawan Religious Teachers University College (KUPU SB).

“We will discuss the matter further with the relevant authorities in the nearer future,” he said.

The issue was raised in a question-and-answer session at Katok Secondary School yesterday as part of the School Department’s initiative to increase the number of counsellors in secondary schools and colleagues in the Sultanate.

Ali Yusri suggested that those counsellors with diploma qualifications apply for short-courses in counselling skills in the higher education institutions instead.

The Short Course on Guidance and Counselling comprises the concepts of guidance and counselling, equipping participants with basic skills, as well as concepts of motivation and learning techniques, said the Acting Assistant Director. “This programme is available to those counsellors who wish to upgrade their counselling academic skills,” he added.

Ali Yusri also said that the request for degrees is still under consideration because of the period of study.

“Post-graduate degrees such as a Master’s Programme only takes a year. However, full-time degree course takes four years,” he said.

The sharing session also covered the counselling programme for schools in the Sultanate which have been divided into seven clusters. Katok Secondary School was one of the schools in Cluster One. Other schools include the Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College (Maktab Sains) and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) College.

The Brunei Times