Die assistent–sielkundige in die sielkundige en voorligtingsdiens van die Transvaalse Onderwysdepartement

Abstract

The psychological and guidance service is an ancillary service established by the Transvaal Education Department with a view to problems which may arise in the school and family situation. For more than sixty years this service has rendered invaluable service to the pupils of Transvaal. This investigation revealed that during the past five years this service has expanded considerably. On the 30th June 1974 there were twenty four Child Guidance Clinics with an establishment of one hundred and sixty one posts. These clinics serve the 24 inspection circuits into which the Transvaal has been divided. They are situated at Pietersburg, Nylstroom, Pretoria (4), Rustenburg, Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, Krugersdorp, Roodepoort, Vereeniging, South Rand, Johannesburg (3), East Rand (4), Ermelo, Nelspruit and Middelburg. Each clinic has 5 different members of staff, namely a psychologist (clinical), a psychologist (vocational guidance), a psychologist (orthodidactic), an assistant psychologist and a speech therapist. In order to render meaningful service it is imperative that the assistant psychologist should be trained and that as an educationist must know exactly what his field and function is. The minimum requirement for appointment to the post of assistant psychologist is at present classification into category "C" (three years training after the attainment of the standard ten certificate or equivalent qualification) and seven years teaching experience. Nowhere do we find an exact ad hoc description of the field and function of the assistant psychologist, As a result of this and practical experience as an assistant psychologist it was concluded that there was a very real need for this study. After lengthy discussions with the authorities of the Transvaal Education Department the need for this study was thus confirmed, The purpose of this study was to investigate the independence of the assistant psychologist as an integral member of the child guidance clinic team by clearly formulating his field, function and training. In this study we are primarily concerned with the field, function and training of the assistant psychologist, although reference will be made to the other members of the service. The information used in this investigation was mainly obtained from South African and overseas literature on this subject. Permission to undertake this study was granted by the Transvaal Education Department Education Bureau. The post of the assistant psychologist attached to the child guidance clinics of the Transvaal Education Department originated in a urgently felt need for personnel to assist pupils with educational-social problems. In the beginning relatively high training requirements were necessary to qualify for this post, e.g. a B.A.-degree with psychology, sociology and social work plus a teachers diploma. It appears however that the training requirements have been lowered considerably - category "C", i.e. three year training is now accepted. As a result of inadequately trained staff the quality of the service has deteriorated. Furthermore this study revealed that the field and function of the assistant psychologist has never been clearly outlined. This fact caused great uncertainty for the assistant psychologist. This uncertainty regarding his field and function also resulted in the various titles given to this post, e.g. visiting teacher, assistant school psychologist, assistant school psychologist (visiting), assistant psychologist (visiting) and assistant psychologist. Although services to pupils with educational social problems are rendered in the U.S.A., Holland and in England, the titles given to these personnel differ. In the U.S.A. and in Holland the person rendering these services is called the school social worker. In England the Education Welfare Officer is responsible for this task. In spite of the fact that the assistant psychologist is regarded as a member of the Child Guidance Clinic-team, the low training requirements as well as the uncertainty with regards to his exact field and function has led to the situation where he has an inferior position; his salary and status is much lower than

the other school psychologists attached to the Child Guidance Clinics of the Transvaal Education Department. The independence of his discipline as such has not yet been realised. As soon as a situation of tension arises that has a negative influence on the pupil's behaviour at school and in the home the principal completes a form which is sent to the child guidance clinic for the circuit inspector. The school psychologist (social) must then identify the educational-social problem. In the U.S.A. the school social worker is a member of the school staff and teachers report pupils in need of attention directly to him. In Holland and in England the principal of the school reports pupils in need of professional help to the school social worker and the Educational Welfare Officer. After the problem has been outlined, an investigation is instituted. Except for the U.S.A. where the school social worker is a member of the school staff, the school social worker in Holland and the Educational Welfare Officer in England, visits the schools. In the Transvaal the school psychologist (social) visits the school and interviews the principal and/or the member of staff who reported the problem. All information and sources or origin is recorded and placed in a special child guidance clinic file opened for the pupil. The pupil is interviewed at the school, where all the necessary information is obtained. The parents may be invited to the school for an interview or this may be conducted at their home. The interview which is conducted at the home serves the purpose of examining the parents view of the situation involving their

child. All information and observations are recorded and placed in the pupils file at the child guidance clinic. The pupils personal child guidance clinic file must give a comprehensive picture of the situation and must contain the following: (a) Details of identification (b) Purpose of interview (c) Introductory remarks (d) Sources of information (e) Family history (f) Family relationships (g) Home circumstances and environment (h) Diagnosis (i) Prognosis (j) Recommendations The school psychologist (social) is responsible for the therapeutic placement of pupils in school hostels. This therapeutic placement concerns pupils whose behaviour and circumstances are of such a nature that they do not need placement in a clinic school. The Transvaal Education Department has three clinic schools. In co-operation with school psychologist (clinical) the school psychologist (social) places pupils whose educational-social problems warrant placement in these clinic schools. Pupils placed in these clinic schools receive treatment and must be decertified and reunited with their own parents as soon as possible, because of the importance of the home. This means that simultaneous attention must be given to parent and child. Regular home visits must be carried out by the school psychologist (social); he also visits the clinic schools and reports back to the parents. Parents are encouraged to visit their child at the clinic school. This gives the staff of the .clinic school the opportunity of getting to know the parents. Even after the pupil has been decertified, completed his schooling, been placed in a school hostel or started work, the school psychologist (social) must continue his advisory service to the pupil and his parents. It is also the task of the school psychologist (social) to advise pupils and their parents in regard to exemption from compulsory school attendance. He does this in co-operation with the school psychologist (vocational guidance). The school psychologist (social) must possess a sound knowledge of community resources and their use. He is the link between home and child and the community. He liaisons with the follow= ing: Department of Social Welfare and Pensions, Department of National Education, C.M.R., S.A.V.F., Child Welfare Society, S.A.P., schools and other religious bodies and organizations who can assist the child and his parents. As far as preventative services are concerned the school psychologist (social) has an important function. An example of these preventative services is the following: he will address parent-teacher meetings, church youth meetings etcetera. During these lectures he must choose subjects referring to child education and bring to their notice the services offered by the child guidance clinic. The school psychologist (social) must treat all information in his possession as confidential. In the expanding science and profession of educational psychology, the school psychologist (social) is at best an adolescent in his development. Like an adolescent, he grows, changes almost beyond recognition, faces new demands, fresh opportunities. And in youthful fashion he may try out many roles in the search for an identity with meaning for him. The unprecedented demand for the services of the school psychologists (social), the many contemporary pressures upon the schools, and the extension of educational psychological knowledge all suggest that the present is a crucial time for the profession. A careful reassessment of the place of psychologist serving the schools is imperative if the profession is to push forward rather than slip backward. Such a rethinking must project into the future roles that take into fullest account the use of the particular knowledge and skills educational psychology and social work has to offer, now or in coming years. Such re-examination should relate these roles to the needs and concerns of schools as they change with the times. Until such time as the roles of the helping professions are more clearly structured in the schools and child guidance clinics, there will doubtless be some overlap in functions between the school psychologists (social) and psychologists in many school settings. The chances are good, however, that there will be more than enough work for both groups. The school psychologist (social) is fortunate who has guidance teachers in his schools with whom he can share the load. With the great manpower needs in the helping professions, the chief problem is one of providing

the opportunities for each profession to use its greatest potential in working to meet the needs of school children. In such mutual endeavours school social work and school psychology can become strong and effective allies. Taking the above into consideration the following recommendations are made: (1) The independence of this discipline will be realised once the status and salary of the school psychologist (social) is brought in line with that of other school psychologists in the child guidance clinics. (2) The Psychological and Guidance Service of the Transvaal Education Department must furnish the school psychologist (social) with a clear outline of his field and function. (3) The training requirements of the school psychologist (social) must be revised. Only people in possession of a B.A. degree with Psychology and Social Work as major subjects. plus a teaching diploma as well as the B.Ed. degree with specialization in Socio-Pedagogics or Guidance must be appointed to these posts. (4) Equal ability to teach in both official languages must be stated as a requirement, i.e. only people in possession of the language endorsement ("AE" or "EA") must be appointed. (5) The qualifications of more than half of the present assistant-psychologist attached to the Child Guidance Clinics of the Transvaal Education Department are too low to qualify and are therefore not equipped to render these professional services. These people however have had valuable experience and must be granted the opportunity by the Transvaal Education Department to improve their qualifications. (6) The title of the post of the assistant psychologist must be replaced by the title school psychologist (social). This title is a true reflection of this person's training, field and function. The school psychologist (social) is primarily an educationist who has also been trained in social work and psychology. (7) In co-operation with universities the Child Guidance Clinics must be prepared to accept potential school psychologists (social) for practical training. After training the school psychologist (social) must undergo an internship of at least one term at a Transvaal Education Department Child Guidance Clinic. (8) For the benefit of the Clinic School Children and their parents, a member of the Child Guidance Clinic team must be available at every Child Guidance Clinic during school holidays. (9) The appointment to every school of trained guidance teachers will assure that the quality of service rendered by the scho9l psychologist (social) will be more purposeful and beneficial. (10) Research in regard to the services rendered by the Transvaal Education Department's Psychological and Guidance Service should be undertaken. The Transvaal Education Department should make bursaries available to this end. (II) In conclusion it is recommended that the universities training the school psychologist (social) must give as much practical training as possible.