Introduction

Guiding pupils without really knowing them is a risky situation that puts their future at risk. School careers guidance is a long process that shapes the trajectory of students. In-depth knowledge of the individual is therefore essential if they are to be given the best possible guidance. Nonetheless, the search for identity and vocation among those undergoing guidance now seems to be under threat from societal influences. 

National Context

According to Malagasy traditions, the opinions of elders on what a child should become carry more weight than the child’s own opinion. As a result, there is a clash between pupils’ personal choices and the constraints imposed on them by society. So, this situation represents a real challenge for our subject.

Social Constraints

Under pressure, pupils subjected to the demands of their parents, supposedly to honour the family’s wishes, lose their way halfway through and risk not finding their direction. Social constraints have become a kind of frustration for its victims. On the one hand, parents play a large part in shaping their children’s future lives. Without even asking what they think, parents decide for their children. On the other hand, those close to them (teachers, friends, relatives) sometimes give abusive advice to pupils to do this, and not to do that, without knowing what they really want in their lives. 

Assertiveness 

These counsellors should first and foremost raise awareness in the vicinity of the students by making them aware that the final word on guidance lies with the students themselves. They should encourage students to become aware of their own worth and to get to know themselves by identifying their passions. The role of all other people is limited to making suggestions, but not to dominate excessively. Free choice (the ability to act without constraint or outside influence) is essential to the full development of the students. As a result, the consent of those being guided is essential to help them achieve their goals. Self-assertion (the ability to express one’s thoughts, feelings, opinions and needs) and autonomy are the first keys to better guidance for these children.

Conclusion

Malagasy society has a long tradition of passing on cultural norms and values to its descendants. Admittedly, school guidance is a rather personal matter that concerns only those being guided. All subjectivity is forbidden in order to respect the privacy and personal decision of what these pupils would like to do later on. For this reason, self-knowledge remains the only remedy for educational guidance, according to the famous quote: ‘Know thyself’.

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