Guidance refers to the growth, development and learning of the whole person – cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual and physical. It is the individualising, the personalizing and the socializing element of a young person’s life and is shared by families and communities with educators.

Rhona Poutu Shaw

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Eli David Careers Information Officer

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In schools, Guidance gives every student the opportunity and support to seek answers to the question “who am I, where do I belong and where am I going?”  As such, it comprises vocational or career guidance, educational guidance and personal guidance which may sometimes involve individual and family counselling.  Guidance promotes learning and development for students and staff in a school environment, and helps to create a healthy, nurturing and supportive school culture where optimum conditions for learning are created for every student.

Guidance as a formal cross-curricular area in schools in the Cook Islands is a relatively new initiative by the Ministry of Education.  The challenge is to ensure that every school is able to develop systems and practices that reflect their own particular cultures and to meet the needs of their own students – for example a senior college on Rarotonga can not easily be compared with an Outer Island Area school or a school in another country.

The first priority has been to ensure that every secondary student has access to current, accurate careers information and advice.  This has been augmented with an annual, national careers expo and a Rarotongan based work experience programme for Outer Island students.

Schools are being encouraged to look at their educational guidance systems – how they ensure that the learning needs of every student are met and identifying staff responsibilities in this area.  Personal guidance and counselling for students is also a need in some schools – particularly on Rarotonga.

Skill development in these areas is embedded across the curriculum, particularly in the Health and PE curriculum. A lifeskills programme for Outer Island students has been initiated to further assist in personal, social and vocational skill development.