ABSTRACT
Both educational choice in school and preparation for training and work among school-leavers are extremely haphazard in Britain at present. This chapter is concerned with the child who is still at school; although the influences of society outside are included. Purposeful and continuous educational guidance has been found, in America, to improve achievement, to increase students' chances in higher educations and work and to reduce delinquency. Such guidance must bring about self-awareness and some ability at self-direction. This is both the most difficult to grasp and yet the most valid form of guidance. It is here that counselling has its role in educational guidance. To 'advise' on careers is mostly a counselling type activity; group counselling is also useful for educational guidance. When a school has a qualified careers teacher or educational counsellor, he will be able to use ability or aptitude tests as tools of guidance.
