The role of the school counselling service in developing classroom and school communities

Petra Gregorčič Mrvar and Jana Kalin

Summary:  In this paper, we discuss the importance of the pedagogical-developmental role of the school counselling service, or the importance of efforts to shift from a crisis-curative to a developmental-preventive orientation of the counselling service. Our focus centers on one aspect of the pedagogical-developmental orientation of the counselling service, specifically the importance of the classroom and school community. We emphasise one of the key roles of the school counsellor, namely, the role of being a link in shaping classroom and school communities, ensuring a safe and stimulating learning environment and optimal conditions for the holistic development, learning and experience of success, satisfaction, inclusion and belonging of all children and adolescents, as well as of professionals and the educational institution as a whole. In this regard, the active collaboration of school counsellors with teachers and class teachers, the development of a high-quality program for class community work and class teacher meetings, and the facilitation of full student participation play a significant role. All of these aspects highlight the importance of the pedagogical-developmental orientation of the counselling service.