Parents & teachers should support students in choosing career options or subjects

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun

Parents and teachers should be supportive and provide guidance to students in analysing educational streams or career choices during this critical time, accordingto experts. The results for classes X and XII of CBSE and ICSE declared recently have caused anxiety among parents and students alike as they grapple with selecting subjects, streams or career paths for their future.  A parent, Kiran said that her son has recently completed class XII in the commerce stream. Despite this, he is interested in pursuing options beyond banking and his related subjects. Kiran said that she has consistently encouraged her son to consider career opportunities linked to commerce, which has unfortunately created a stressful atmosphere at home.

A student Shivam, who has successfully passed class X exams, expressed his confusion regarding whether to pursue the humanities or commerce stream for future classes. He said that while his parents are encouraging him to select the commerce stream, he is inclined to choose humanities for his future studies and career development. As of now, he has not made a definitive decision regarding his stream.

Many parents and students share similar concerns when it comes to selecting career paths. In light of this, career counsellor Manuj Mittal said that he has been frequently addressing the worries of both parents and students regarding their choices. He emphasised that when deciding on a career, it is essential for both parents and students to consider three key factors: the student’s interests, their aptitude, which reflects their capabilities and their personality.

Based on this, students must consider various subjects or career options after completing class XII. He emphasised that parents and teachers, instead of only outlining common career paths, should provide detailed information about a range of career options available to students. Following this, students should research these options further to determine whether they have a genuine interest in pursuing them. He also said that parents need to be supportive during this period, as parental pressure can lead to stress among students if they are forced into specific career choices. Adhering to these three points will help students choose their career options or streams more easily, he stated. 

“I have also observed that nowadays, rather than arranging counselling sessions for students, parental counselling plays a very important role. Parents often place pressure on their children regarding career options based on their own unfulfilled expectations. Instead of this approach, parents need to be supportive during this period and help educate their children to choose subjects and career paths that align with their personal interests. He emphasised that parental counselling sessions should be arranged at the school level. Additionally, during this time, students need to be patient and avoid panic, making career choices based on their own interests,” said, Dean of the School of Sciences and head of the Economics department at Doon University RP Mamgain.