- self-knowledge: capacities, aptitudes, skills, needs, values, and interests;
- decision-making: learning the means of making a realistic decision;
- developing the capacity of facing changes by applying decisions and
accepting their consequences.
In what follows we present an overview of the situation in several European countries.
- In Denmark , pupils aged 14-16 in folkeskole benefit from at least 48 classes
to choose an educational and professional path (education des choix), with
the support of the teacher counsellor. - In Germany , there are Arbeitslehre, orientation programmes about work for
5-7 hours per week for pupils aged 13-15 in Hauptschulen and Realschulen.
The curriculum insists on the world of work, structured either as a separate
subject matter or as an interdisciplinary or integrated programme. - In Greece, pupils aged 12-14 participate in 45 classes for choice education,
and pupils in the first years of high school (15-16 years old) benefit from 30
such classes. - Guidance activities are carried out separately or are included in a compulsory
subject matter for pupils aged 12-15 in the Netherlands. - In Portugal, pupils aged 14-15 take part weekly in a career counselling
session lasting for 50 minutes. - Guidance education represents one of the transversal subject matters included
in the curriculum for pupils of 14-16 years in Great Britain. In many schools
it is part of personal and social education (PSE). - Programmes meant to prepare pupils for the professional life are also present
in Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg. - In Belgium, counselling in psycho-medical-social centres (PMS) carry out
group activities on choice education with pupils, and in France similar
sessions are organized by counsellors-psychologists in information and
guidance centres (CIO). - In Luxemburg, career counselling in high schools is linked to ample school
reforms and the enhancement of cooperation between school and community.
Guidance education targets: support in the transition from primary to
secondary school, developing the competences of savoir être and social
aptitudes, by using group learning methods and counselling. Thus, the
teachers and the school psychologist give support to pupils in making
decisions and improving their personal management.