There are two children in a class with two different problems. One of the children met the teacher and said, I do not know how to do this mathematic assignment. the teacher instead of teaching the child how to do assignment sent the child to the other teacher to help the child.
The second child has the of which type of school club he will join He therefore went to his class teacher and the class teacher knowing the type of activity the child likes best put him on the school's social club.
From these two short stories what do you think the teacher has done to the child with mathematical problem and the one with problem of knowing the club to join? The answer to the question will become very clear at the end of this study.
THE MEANING OF REFERRAL
Referral is one of the important guidance service. This service has been explained by writers. MacLean and Gould (1988) defined referral as a way of ending one's relationship with another person in a special way This is to say that referral is a special way or method used in guidance and counseling to tell another person that his or her problems will be looked into by another person.
In order to make the point clearer, let consider the relationship between a medical doctor and his patient. The patient has consulted the doctor with some problems. The doctor examines him and finds out that another doctor who is a specialist in the area will be in a better position to help the patient. He then prepares a small note transferring his patient to the other doctor. So, what the doctor has done is referral exercise.
In summary, referral is a method of transferring a person who come to you for help to another person or place where you think he can best be helped. It is therefore transferring or sending a person, for example, the student who has the problem of mathematics which you think you can not handle to another teacher who can help the student solve the problem. So what the teacher did to the first child is called REFERRAL in the of guidance and counselling.
ln guidance and counselling, referrals are made based on certain important reasons
- When the counsellor is certain that the problem of the student is beyond his area of competence. In this case, if a student comes with a problem of solving mathematics to an English teacher who cannot solved maths, so the problem is beyond the teacher. The only help the English teacher can give the student is to send the student to a mathematical teacher.
When the counsellor does not have the necessary working materials needed to help the student.
So, the counsellor only helps by sending him/her to another counsellor that has the materials needed to help the student. In this type of referral, the first counsellor can do the work but he/she has no materials to work with.That the needed time to work with the student on the problem is not available to the counsellor. This means that the counsellor sees the problem of the student and believes it will take long time to solve. That period of time needed is not available to the counsellor, so he can refer the students to another person who will have enough time to work with him. The reason here is that the counsellor has no time.
STEPS TO TAKE WHEN MAKING A REFERRALS,
First and foremost you must identify the most competent person or place you are referring. In other words, before a counsellor makes a referral of his/her student to another counsellor, he must ensure that the students problem can best be solve here.
Secondly
the person making me referral must have talked to other person about the plan to send a student to him for more attention.
the third step
is to inform the student that he/she will be sent to another person or place where it is believed he or she will be best help. If the student disagrees, you must listen as a counsellor to the reasons so that a possible change be made.
the next step
is to take the student to the new person where his/her problems will be handled.
Finally continue to check on the student in the new place to see how far he/she is doing with the new person. This will encouraged the student and give him the idea that the counsellor cares for him.
In summary
Referral is transferring or sending a student to another person for adequate attention
Reasons for referral
The problem being beyond the teacher or counsellor.
Lack of necessary working materials.
Lack of time.
I believe you have seen the reason why the teacher sent the student with mathematical assignment to another teacher.