PSS to certify school counselors

The Public School System is currently pushing efforts to provide the best possible support for its students by initiating the certification of its school counselors.

Resident counselors on some of the CNMI’s 16 schools are currently not certified, according to Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos. But apart from the lack of certification is the lack of counselors themselves.

Of the 16 schools on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian, PSS has only 17 counselors. Not all schools have counselors, however.

Dr. Inos admitted that sad as it may seem, some students have to do without this support system throughout their school life.

PSS has been unable to fill up the large number of unoccupied counselor positions since the April 1998 austerity cutbacks.

“But we desperately need to get them back to every school. Each school should have counselors that support the needs of students not just in the classroom but also in terms of coping with school life and the surroundings, and maybe support them as they lea
ve the school,” she said.

Highly populated schools like Hopwood Junior High School has over 300 students per counselor.

Marianas High School which has a student population of 1,800 for the current school year also has its hands full. Each counselor at MHS serves some 360 students.

Rota and Tinian schools which has minimal size studentry also have an uneven 1 is to 200 ratio of counselors versus students.

At this rate, Dr. Inos has stressed on the immediate need for PSS to acquire more counselors as well as the necessity of their certification.

These are currently major discussions being deliberated by the Board of Education.

If this pushes through, PSS would need to amend public laws and internal PSS regulations which in turn would include counselors in the category of PSS’s certified personnel, according to Dr. Inos.

“There’s a big chunk of work to be done but I think the board is very open and they’re very positive about the direction,” said Dr. Inos.

PSS is also looking at elementary and high school counselors which will take on major responsibilities such as guidance counseling, consultation coordination assessment and professionalism.

The functions of a counselor include comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program for all students in the school they’re assigned to, work closely with teachers and staff to enhance personnel skills and knowledge in promoting students education as well as provide support to other educational and school guidance counseling programs.