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Today, an symposium on the subject of “Problems of School Psychology Services” was launched on the initiative of the Pedagogical University Faculty of Education Psychology and Sociology Department of Development and Applied Psychology, Department of Theory and History of Psychology, with the participation of corresponding specialists from the RA and Foreign state agencies, academic institutions, civil and public units.
The aim of the symposium was to discuss, analyse and assess the actual state of inclusive education and school psychology services and its development perspectives, to upraise the achievements and issues that will serve as basis for making decisions during the further reforms of educational system.
The ASPU Vice-Rector Ara Yeremyan highlighted the importance of the topic of the symposium; besides, he was sorry to notice that the institute of psychologists and psychological services had been established and developed long ago, but its development tendencies could be noticed only recently.
Likewise, the Vice-Rector Srbouhi Gevorgyan conditioned the importance of issues related to psychological services in our country with the new educational reforms of the region during the recent years.
“Schools are the field of mutual influence of education entities- the most important socialization institute of education, general up-bringing, personal development and formation. It is full of various psychological issues, interpersonal conflicts; and for that reason it is very important to understand its developments, the organization of main psychological services, operations and processes related to educational paradigm,” the Professor mentioned and assured that the accurate work of psychologist- pedagogues, the existence of psychological services in educational centres would give and opportunity to work with the consequences, to prevent them, as well as to correct and direct the diversity of issues that are existing in the education sector in our days.
“Today, many schools have psychologists but at the same time the majority of schools, especially those in regions, do not have any psychologists or psychological services. And for that there are different reasons; on the one hand, the usefulness of school psychologists is not properly outlined among us yet, on the other hand, the professional system of training professionals with narrow specialization of a “school psychologist” is still missing” the Head of the ASPU Department of Development and Applied Psychology, Doctor of Psychology Professor Samvel Khoudoyan mentioned during his speech, expressing his hope for the symposium to assist in finding solutions, making important steps for the progress of school psychology services, mandatory introduction of psychology specialists at schools as well as in the direction of drafting and teaching the theory of the above-stated profession.
In his turn the RA MES Head of Department of Development programmes and monitoring Robert Stepanyan thinks that the logic of development of education system leads to the necessity of having psychology services at inclusive schools of future and making them its inseparable and obligatory unit.
The specialists of the education sphere does not hide that there are a lot of professional and organizational problems for the solution of which methodological, financial, human and other resources are needed.
“Psychological service should develop within the context of the ideology of inclusive education; psychologists should be both at schools and in corresponding centres serving as resource centres for schools. The clarification of responsibilities of school psychologists and psychological service centres is also quite critical for the effective organization of cooperation.”
One of the participants of the symposium Ms. Ani Danielyan has been working at N4 secondary school of Echmiadzin for around two years. The young psychologist’s work will not ensure serious results; in fact, the parents, children and teachers should also be involved in the process. And besides, speaking about professional problems, she observed that there were pupils, for whom the school regime regulation was not acceptable; these were children that were difficult to adapt and educate, and with whom individual and group work is conducted.
What is more, highlighting the initiative of the Pedagogical University Ms. Ani Danielyan expressed her hope that it would be a particular experience contributing to the development and establishment of a profession in the given field.
The plenary session was followed by activities in various sectors- “the Description of School Psychology Services, Current State and Development Perspectives”, “Types and Spheres of School Psychology Services”, “School Psychologists: Characteristic Features and Specialization Issues”.
The activities of the two-day symposium will continue tomorrow.
