Assignment couseeling mfon

1
INTRODUCTION
Before examining guidance and counselling on educational attainment of
Nigerian youths, it is pertinent for one to understand the meaning of ‘‘guidance and
counselling’’ towards the development of Nigerian youths and students. Guidance and
counselling is therefore a professional field which has a broad range of activities,
programmes and services geared toward assisting individuals to understand
themselves, their problems, their school environment and their world and also to
develop adequate capacity for making wise choices and decisions. The UNESCO
module on guidance and counselling (2000) also posited that Guidance is a
programme of services to individuals based on their needs and the influence of
environmental factors. Collins (2002) says that guidance and counselling is important
because it provides an insight on working knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is
necessary to assist young people to be disciplined and be able to deal with challenges
and realities they face in their ever changing environment, understand themselves,
their academic social and physical environment, realize their potentials, as well as
identify opportunities in a world where chances for further training, employment and
advancement continue to dwindle.
Through guidance and counselling comprehensive advice on career / courses is
given to youths and students. For instance, there are less personal problems among
the students in the school and students were well disciplined with improved academic
performance as a result of guidance and counselling. It is through guidance and
counselling that students remain disciplined and focused in life. Collins (2002)
indicates that through guidance and counselling students are assisted to be disciplined
2
and become able to deal with challenges and realities they face in their academic,
social and physical environment. Guidance and counselling has been conceptualized
as a programme of activities which has provided us with the gateway out of the
existing numerous problems in our present age of complex scientific and
technological development (Okobiah and Okorodudu 2004).
Moreover, guidance and counselling as a movement was started in America at
the beginning of 20th Century as a reaction to change process in an industrialized
society. Guidance and counselling services were set up within the department of
education in September 1968 when the recommendations made by Louis, a consultant
sent over to Malta by United Nation’s Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), were taken up, Summit (1997). During the first African
Conference on guidance and counselling in Nairobi (2002, 22nd- 26th April) in
cooperation with UNESCO/DANIDA, Italy and the International Association for
Counselling, the participants realized a number of the most prevalent youth problems
during schooling; that the boys and girls did not establish their identity; they were
either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, abuse of drugs, practice prostitution and
engage in criminal activities due to high unemployment. The solution which the
participants came up with way that guidance and counselling should be strengthened
in Secondary schools, and practiced in the African context. Gichinga (2007) agrees
when the asserts that critical and resilient aspect of African experience are revisited
and modified if/when necessary to include holistic and conceptualized training for
counsellors.
3
THE AIM OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING AMONG NIGERIAN
YOUTHS
Without a clear focus on the depth of the existing problems many youths may
not be able to articulately establish solutions to the many challenges facing them. For
empowering students to have hope in life and confidence in them they should be
enabled to solve life challenging issues by themselves and have change in the way
they react to occurring problems. In the process their discipline standards will be well
improved, thus creating a sense of responsibility to deal with issues in life. In overall
speaking, providing responsive service and designing guidance activities is vital.
There is an obvious move from a remedial to a preventive, strength-based orientation.
From the above stages, we have traced the general trend of the development of
school guidance and counselling. From the beginning, school counselling work was
taken up by the appointed teachers on top of their regular duties. Then, fulltime
positions of school counsellors were introduced in the schools. This is a move from
non-professionals to professionals. Thereafter, there was a further move from position
to program where the focus on the counselling personnel was shifted to implementing
guidance activities as a program. There is also a move from the remedial approach of
school counselling to a preventive, strength-based orientation that sees the importance
of developing students’ potentials and assets in order to live a more fulfilling life. The
organisation of guidance and counselling in the institutions is a basic element in
ensuring good discipline. It is the role of the school principal to plan, organise,
coordinate and control the activities of guidance and counselling services. She/he is
4
responsible for the provision of guidance and counselling facilities, personnel,
financial and the moral support.
Researchers and educational policy makers agree that the schools’ ability to
cope with numerous complex challenges it faces, requires more than reliance on a
single individual’s leadership. Lashway (2003) articulates that: the common ideal of a
leader is obsolete, the task of transforming schools is too complex to expect one
person to accomplish single handily. Criticism that the leadership model fails
essentially because it idealizes people, places handful of individuals at the top of a
”moral leadership” pyramid and ignores the fact that human beings are inherently
flawed. It considers the majority of people as important, lazy and self-interested at the
bottom, it eschews the struggle of leadership and suggests that leaders have to be
superhuman and presents a monopoly experience that is primarily made and the most
part aligned with the military model.
THE CONCEPT OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN NIGERIA
PRIMARY AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
In Nigeria, school guidance and counselling programmes have been introduced
to assist students overcome the number of challenges they experience at home and at
school. Nziramasanga (1999) states that because of many pressures imposed on the
family, parents tend to have little time with their children to give them the necessary
guidance. The parents expect the school to provide solutions to the indiscipline in
secondary schools caused by their children. UNESCO (2002:2) adds that “African
adults have become more concerned with earning money and are less occupied with
5
many traditional practices that formerly contributed to the upbringing of young
people”. Guidance and counselling as the third force in education along with
instruction, is an integral part of educational system. Guidance programmes for
secondary school students are designed to address the physical, emotional, social,
vocational and academic difficulties of adolescent students. This is to complement
learning in the classroom and also enhance academic performance/achievements of
students.
Guidance plays a vital role in preventing educational, personal, social, mental
emotional and other similar problems among secondary school students. Guidance and
counselling should be made part and parcel of the education system. This will help
mould the youths so that when they come out of school they will not appear confused,
undecided and frustrated by life, rather they will be able to face life’s challenges as
they exploit their potentials with courage. With the clear role of guidance and
counselling in schools, there is need for a more open and direct relationship between
students, teachers and parents. Teachers need to show love, affection and appreciation
to the students thus creating conducive environment for learning.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COUNSELLOR AND COUNSELLING TO THE
YOUTHS
Guidance and Counselling programme and discipline in Secondary Schools
Human needs necessitate new inventions. Although guidance and counselling was
focused on career development, contemporary socio-economic issues (unemployment,
drug, unstable families, and truancy) have necessitated the incorporation of
6
professional guidance and counselling in secondary schools. This is because guidance
and counselling is safe to apply for holistic development of children, their behavior
notwithstanding. Ayieko (1988) says guidance and counselling plays a pivotal role in
students’ behaviour management and correction in schools. Counselling can be used
both as a curative measuring in addressing school discipline and to avert and/ or
correct indiscipline among students. Guidance and counselling may be provided
holistically in secondary schools. Vocational Guidance provides information about job
opportunities and factors affecting the job market such as unemployment information
technology and international relations.
Mutie and Ndambuki (1999) look at the aims of vocational guidance as having
an expanding function, to aid in placing talent where it is needed. Through education
guidance, a learner is better informed about the subject they study and subject choices;
and that to attain success in one’s academic requires learners going an extra mile in
their studies. The kind of Knowledge to learner is especially important to the youth
who are less exposes and limited in their understanding of the world of work Parents,
teachers and society are observing and reporting a marked decline in the level of
indiscipline and good behaviour among secondary school children. Most of these
children generally lack courtesy, respect, self-control, decency, and social etiquette.
The values they portray are disrespect toward authority, promiscuity drug abuse,
addiction behaviour and carefree lifestyles.
A learner in a new school or in a higher level of learning institution is to cope
with the new environment through guidance. Learners are helped to develop a better
understanding of whom they are and appreciate of their background. Learners are
7
guided on the self-awareness, peer pressure, relationships, personality differences,
manners and social etiquette, social roles and responsibility, intra and interpersonal
conflict resolutions. Though personal and social guidance, a pupil is helped to
overcome indiscipline as a quest for ‘freedom. Indiscipline among secondary school
students is a result of a feeling of unfulfilment, frustration and lack of constructive
freedom.
THE CHALLENGES FACING NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ON
GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING AMONG STUDENTS
There is inadequate guidance and counselling man power in most of our
institutions. According the education monograph (1986) lack of training physical
facilities and resources and inadequacy of funds are challenges which seem to derail
the innovative effects of counsellors. Children are not encouraged by their parents to
freely seek for guidance and counselling when necessary. They believe guidance and
counselling is an invasion of their children’s privacy. Teacher counsellors are not well
scheduled to meet learners for guidance and counselling and relevant reference
materials and facilities are lacking.
According to the Kamunge Report, The Republic of Kenya (1988), The Report
of the Presidential Workshop Party on Education and Manpower Training, there is
over burdening of teacher counsellors who have the same teaching load as their
colleagues who are not actively involved in guidance and counselling, continued
training for teacher counsellors is often not consistent. The schools’ lack of enough
funds due to fees arrears may cause delayed implementation of G&C programmes.
8
The BOG involvement is fundamental in the delivery of discipline measures to
students. The resource persons for G&C service are very scarce and can only be
invited by the school principal in coordination with the BOG chairman. Okola (2005)
carried out a study on the factors hindering effective provision of educational
counselling services in Trans-Nzoia District and their effects on the effective
provision of guidance and counselling services in secondary schools in the District
The study revealed that: Kenyan schools have very few reference resources for
guidance and counselling; trained personnel in this area are few or not available at all
in various schools; most schools do not have sufficient funds to carry out the
programme effectively and some teachers and head teachers avoid the responsibility
of running such a programme.
The counsellor in this context is a professionally trained teacher and therapist
who should be working in the secondary school. The role of the teacher counsellor
revolved around employing new skills to aid the client/learner through the “dark
entangled forest” (unknown) of his/her personality and society. Schools can help in
terms of offering counselling or interpreting it in a broad way, by integrating it into
the ethos of the school, and offer individual or group counselling. Lang (1993) agrees
that for Secondary school, effectiveness in counselling depend on counselling being
considered in its broad sense, and integrate it into a whole school approach. Whether
integrated, group or individual, the counselling process should be handled sensitively
and discreetly. Counselling aims at empowering the individual. The teachercounsellor requires professional training to accomplish this task successfully.
9
Castillo (1978) acknowledges that anyone who hopes a child to mature must
first get to know and accept him for he is. Otherwise success will evade even his/her
best affairs. Makewa (2008) concedes that it is important to understand the youth’s
world as a counsellor. The counsellor is then able to help them better when they
understand them and that boys and girls are easier to build than it is to mend men and
woman. A counsellor should have an interest and consuming desire to relieve distress
and assist people lead more fulfilling lives. The counsellor must go beyond mere
interest in the subject and equip him or herself with the relevant knowledge. Ndirangu
(2000) concedes that the teacher- counsellor should be well grounded in clinical
psychology where it is dictated by the maxim that all behaviour is caused. The
teacher-counsellor requires knowledge of some culture values and beliefs of most of
the clientele he or she handles within the learning institution. This is crucial because
cultural misinterpretation may mean long-term damage to the client. It is not a wonder
then that the Map-Robinson Report (1987) comments that guidance and counselling
for individuals has always formed part of the African strategy for combining
personality problems and may be practiced by indigenous counsellors.
The Witmer (1990) Report endorses this argument by remarking that
counsellors should always be cognizant of the cultural conditions and changes.
Teacher-counsellor should design comprehensive guidance programmes, provide
counselling service and use assessment procedures with a gender perspective. Lack of
training of counsellors in gender analysis may lead many providers of guidance to
render services and/or organize activities that may continue to maintain and enforce
the already existing stereotype.
10
Counselling skills are learned over time and should be practiced by a
professional teacher-counsellor as much as possible. Counselling is a purposeful
process which leads client to move understandings of themselves and other; the
teacher – counsellor should therefore be conversant with the listening skill.
Counselling is a process and theory based.
Conclusion
From the above review, it is viewed through the studies that guidance and
counselling has a significance role in the lives of many Nigerian youths and also
influence students’ discipline in secondary and tertiary institutions. Through intense
formal and informal programmes for guidance and counselling, character formation
was achieved, Muithya (1996). It is through guidance and counselling that students
remain disciplined and focused in life. Collins (2002) indicates that through guidance
and counselling students are assisted to be disciplined and become able to deal with
challenges and realities they face in their academic, social and physical environment.
However many youths still pose the danger of becoming undisciplined due to the
changing cultures and the eroding of norms in society.
Ndirangu (2000) explains that even though the guidance and counselling
services are focused in schools the students and the general public quite far from
understand what it entails and its applicability. From the studies it was proved that
group and individual counselling is to applied on particular cases. Nevertheless it is
essential to embrace guidance and counselling services to our institutions to curb the
unwanted character traits.
11
REFERENCES
Allis, M.S & Kamel, M.I.(1999) Children Experiencing Violence. II: Relevance
and Determinants of Corporal Punishment in Schools, Child Abuse and Neglect.
Amukoa, B.F. (1984). Need for Serious Counselling in Schools. Unpublished
PGDE Project. Kenya University. Unpublished.
Anwana, U. I. (1989). An analysis of occupational preferences of farm five
students in secondary schools in Cross River State education 3 (1) 32 – 38 66
Atieno, O. (2009). An analysis of the strengths and limitation of qualitative and
quantitative research paradigms. Problems of Education in the 21st Century,
1313-18. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Ayieko, J.S. (1988). Solving discipline problems in Kenyan secondary schools.
Nottingham: The university of Nottingham Best, W.J. & Kahn, V.J. (1998)
Research in Education (6th edition). Eaglewood Cliff. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall Inc. Borg, R.W. & Gall, M.D. (1989). Educational Research (6th
edition).New York: Longman Inc.
Bulus, I. (2001). Counselling and counsellor education Nigeria: The post
present and future challenges” ABU Journal of counselling and Human
Development 1(1), 284 – 299.
Burks, H. M. & Stefflre, B. (1979). Theories of counselling. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Ndirangu, J.M (2000) Youth in Danger: A Handbook for teachers, Students,
Parents, Pastors and Community Workers. Nairobi: Uzima.
12
UNESCO. (2002). New Roles and Challenges for Guidance and Counselling.
Paris: iac.
Witmer, J.M.(1990). Consultancy on Establishing a Guidance and Counselling
Education at the University of Botswana. Ohio: Ohio University College of
Education, Athens, Ohio-August 28th, 1990).
INTRODUCTION
Before examining guidance and counselling as an aim of educational attainment
of Nigerian youths, it is pertinent for one to understand meaning of ‘‘guidance and
counselling’’ towards the youths and students. Guidance and counselling is a
professional field which has a broad range of activities, programmes and services
geared toward assisting individuals to understand themselves, their problems, their
school environment and their world and also to develop adequate capacity for making
wise choices and decisions. The UNESCO module on guidance and counselling (2000)
also posited that Guidance is a programme of services to individuals based on their
needs and the influence of environmental factors. Collins (2002) says that guidance and
counselling is important because it provides an insight on working knowledge, skills
and attitudes. It is necessary to assist young people to be disciplined and be able to deal
with challenges and realities they face in their ever changing environment, understand
themselves, their academic social and physical environment, realize their potentials, as
13
well as identify opportunities in a world where chances for further training,
employment and advancement continue to dwindle.
Therefore, guidance and counselling aims at empowering the youths, the
students and various organizations for a better future. Through guidance and
counselling comprehensive advice on career / courses is given to youths
and students. For instance, there are less personal problems among the
students in the school and students were well disciplined with improved
academic performance as a result of guidance and counselling. It is through
guidance and counselling that students remain disciplined and focused in
life. Collins (2002) indicates that through guidance and counselling
students are assisted to be disciplined and become able to deal with
challenges and realities they face in their academic, social and physical
environment. Guidance and counselling has been conceptualized as a
programme of activities which has provided us with the gateway out of the
existing numerous problems in our present age of complex scientific and
technological development (Okobiah and Okorodudu 2004).
Moreover, guidance and counselling as a movement was started in
America at the beginning of 20th Century as a reaction to change process in
an industrialized society. Guidance and counselling services were set up
within the department of education in September 1968 when the
recommendations made by Louis, a consultant sent over to Malta by United
14
Nation’s Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), were
taken up, Summit (1997). During the first African Conference on guidance
and counselling in Nairobi (2002, 22nd- 26th April) in cooperation with
UNESCO/DANIDA, Italy and the International Association for Counselling,
the participants realized a number of the most prevalent youth problems
during schooling; that the boys and girls did not establish their identity;
they were either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, abuse of drugs, practice
prostitution and engage in criminal activities due to high unemployment.
The solution which the participants came up with way that guidance and
counselling should be strengthened in Secondary schools, and practiced in
the African context. Gichinga (2007) agrees when the asserts that critical
and resilient aspect of African experience are revisited and modified
if/when necessary to include holistic and conceptualized training for
counsellors.
THE AIM OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTHS
Without a clear focus on the depth of the existing problems many
youths may not be able to articulately establish solutions to the many
challenges facing them. For empowering students to have hope in life and
confidence in them they should be enabled to solve life challenging issues
by themselves and have change in the way they react to occurring
problems. In the process their discipline standards will be well improved,
15
thus creating a sense of responsibility to deal with issues in life. In overall
speaking, providing responsive service and designing guidance activities is
vital. There is an obvious move from a remedial to a preventive, strengthbased orientation.
From the above stages, we have traced the general trend of the
development of school guidance and counselling. From the beginning,
school counselling work was taken up by the appointed teachers on top of
their regular duties. Then, fulltime positions of school counsellors were
introduced in the schools. This is a move from non-professionals to
professionals. Thereafter, there was a further move from position to
program where the focus on the counselling personnel was shifted to
implementing guidance activities as a program. There is also a move from
the remedial approach of school counselling to a preventive, strengthbased orientation that sees the importance of developing students’
potentials and assets in order to live a more fulfilling life. The organisation
of guidance and counselling in the institutions is a basic element in
ensuring good discipline. It is the role of the school principal to plan,
organise, coordinate and control the activities of guidance and counselling
services. She/he is responsible for the provision of guidance and
counselling facilities, personnel, financial and the moral support.
16
Researchers and educational policy makers agree that the schools’
ability to cope with numerous complex challenges it faces, requires more
than reliance on a single individual’s leadership. Lashway (2003),
articulates that: the common ideal of a leader is obsolete, the task of
transforming schools is too complex to expect one person to accomplish
single handily. Criticism that the leadership model fails essentially because
it idealizes people, places handful of individuals at the top of a ”moral
leadership” pyramid and ignores the fact that human beings are inherently
flawed. It considers the majority of people as important, lazy and selfinterested at the bottom, it eschews the struggle of leadership and suggests
that leaders have to be superhuman and presents a monopoly experience
that is primarily made and the most part aligned with the military model.
THE CONCEPT OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING NIGERIA PRIMARY
AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
In Nigeria, school guidance and counselling programmes have been
introduced to assist students overcome the number of challenges they
experience at home and at school. Nziramasanga (1999) states that
because of many pressures imposed on the family, parents tend to have
little time with their children to give them the necessary guidance. The
parents expect the school to provide solutions to the indiscipline in
secondary schools caused by their children. UNESCO (2002:2) adds that
17
“African adults have become more concerned with earning money and are
less occupied with many traditional practices that formerly contributed to
the upbringing of young people”. Guidance and counselling as the third
force in education along with instruction, is an integral part of educational
system. Guidance programmes for secondary school students are designed
to address the physical, emotional, social, vocational and academic
difficulties of adolescent students. This is to complement learning in the
classroom and also enhance academic performance/achievements of
students.
Guidance plays a vital role in preventing educational, personal,
social, mental emotional and other similar problems among secondary
school students. Guidance and counselling should be made part and parcel
of the education system. This will help mould the youths so that when they
come out of school they will not appear confused, undecided and frustrated
by life, rather they will be able to face life’s challenges as they exploit their
potentials with courage. With the clear role of guidance and counselling in
schools, there is need for a more open and direct relationship between
students, teachers and parents. Teachers need to show love, affection and
appreciation to the students thus creating conducive environment for
learning.
18
THE IMPORTANCE OF COUNSELLOR AND COUNSELLING TO THE
YOUTHS
Guidance and Counselling programme and discipline in Secondary Schools
Human needs necessitate new inventions. Although guidance and
counselling was focused on career development, contemporary socioeconomic issues (unemployment, drug, unstable families, truancy) have
necessitated the incorporation of professional guidance and counselling in
secondary schools. This is because guidance and counselling is safe to apply
for holistic development of children, their behavior notwithstanding.
Ayieko (1988) says guidance and counselling plays a pivotal role in
students’ behaviour management and correction in schools. Counselling
can be used both as a curative measuring in addressing school discipline
and to avert and/ or correct indiscipline among students. Guidance and
counselling may be provided holistically in secondary schools. Vocational
Guidance provides information about job opportunities and factors
affecting the job market such as unemployment information technology
and international relations. Mutie and Ndambuki (1999) look at the aims of
vocational guidance as having an expanding function, to aid in placing
talent where it is needed. Through education guidance, a learner is better
informed about the subject they study and subject choices; and that to
attain success in one’s academic requires learners going an extra mile in
19
their studies. The kind of Knowledge to learner is especially important to
the youth who are less exposes and limited in their understanding of the
world of work 29 Parents, teachers and society are observing and reporting
a marked decline in the level of indiscipline and good behaviour among
secondary school children. Most of these children generally lack courtesy,
respect, self-control, decency, and social etiquette. The values they portray
are disrespect toward authority, promiscuity drug abuse, addiction
behaviour and carefree lifestyles. A learner in a new school or in a higher
level of learning institution is to cope with the new environment through
guidance. Learners are helped to develop a better understanding of whom
they are and appreciate of their background. Learners are guided on the
selfawareness, peer pressure, relationships, personality differences,
manners and social etiquette, social roles and responsibility, intra and
interpersonal conflict resolutions. Though personal and social guidance, a
pupil is helped to overcome indiscipline as a quest for ‘freedom.
Indiscipline among secondary school students is a result of a feeling of
unfulfilment, frustration and lack of constructive freedom. 2.9 Challenges
facing the school management in implementing guidance and counselling.
There is inadequate guidance and counselling man power in most of our
institutions. According the education monograph (1986) lack of training
physical facilities and resources and inadequacy of funds are challenges
20
which seem to derail the innovative effects of counsellors. Children are not
encouraged by their parents to freely seek for guidance and counselling
when necessary. They believe guidance and counselling is an invasion of
their children’s privacy. Teacher 30 counsellors are not well scheduled to
meet learners for guidance and counselling and relevant reference
materials and facilities are lacking. According to the Kamunge Report, The
Republic of Kenya (1988), The Report of the Presidential Workshop Party
on Education and Manpower Training, there is over burdening of teacher
counsellors who have the same teaching load as their colleagues who are
not actively involved in guidance and counselling, continued training for
teacher counsellors is often not consistent. The schools’ lack of enough
funds due to fees arrears may cause delayed implementation of G&C
programmes. The BOG involvement is fundamental in the delivery of
discipline measures to students. The resource persons for G&C service are
very scarce and can only be invited by the school principal in coordination
with the BOG chairman. Okola (2005) carried out a study on the factors
hindering effective provision of educational counselling services in TransNzoia District and their effects on the effective provision of guidance and
counselling services in secondary schools in the District The study revealed
that: Kenyan schools have very few reference resources for guidance and
counselling; trained personnel in this area are few or not available at all in
21
various schools; most schools do not have sufficient funds to carry out the
programme effectively and some teachers and head teachers avoid the
responsibility of running such a programme. The study focused more on
the factors affecting guidance and counselling in schools without looking
strictly into the students attitude towards guidance and counselling and
what can influence their attitude.
The counsellor in this context is a professionally trained teacher and
therapist who should be working in the secondary school. The role of the
teacher counsellor revolved around employing new skills to aid the
client/learner through the “dark entangled forest” (unknown) of his/her
personality and society. Schools can help in terms of offering counselling or
interpreting it in a broad way, by integrating it into the ethos of the school,
and offer individual or group counselling. Lang (1993) agrees that for
Secondary school, effectiveness in counselling depend on counselling being
considered in its broad sense, and integrate it into a whole school
approach. Whether integrated, group or individual, the counselling process
should be handled sensitively and discreetly. Counselling aims at
empowering the individual. The teacher-counsellor requires professional
training to accomplish this task successfully. Castillo (1978) acknowledges
that anyone who hopes a child to mature must first get to know and accept
him for he is. Otherwise success will evade even his/her best affairs.
22
Makewa (2008) concedes that it is important to understand the youth’s
world as a counsellor.
The counsellor is then able to help them better when they
understand them and that boys and girls are easier to build than it is to
mend men and woman. A counsellor should have an interest and
consuming desire to relieve distress and assist people lead more fulfilling
lives. The counsellor must go beyond mere interest in the subject and equip
him or herself with the relevant knowledge. 26 Ndirangu (2000) concedes
that the teacher- counsellor should be well grounded in clinical psychology
where it is dictated by the maxim that all behavior is caused. The teachercounsellor requires knowledge of some culture values and beliefs of most
of the clientele he or she handles within the learning institution. This is
crucial because cultural misinterpretation may mean long-term damage to
the client. It is not a wonder then that the Map-Robinson Report (1987)
comments that guidance and counselling for individuals has always formed
part of the African strategy for combining personality problems and may be
practiced by indigenous counsellors.
The Witmer (1990) Report endorses this argument by remarking
that counsellors should always be cognizant of the cultural conditions and
changes. Teacher-counsellor should design comprehensive guidance
programmes, provide counselling service and use assessment procedures
23
with a gender perspective. Lack of training of counsellors in gender
analysis may lead many providers of guidance to render services and/or
organize activities that may continue to maintain and enforce the already
existing stereotype.
Counselling skills are learned over time and should be practiced by a
professional teacher-counsellor as much as possible. Counselling is a
purposeful process which leads client to move understandings of
themselves and other; the teacher – counsellor should therefore be
conversant with the listening skill. Counselling is a process and theory
based.
Conclusion
From the above review, it is viewed through the studies that guidance
and counselling has a significance role in the lives of many Nigerian youths and
also influence students’ discipline in secondary and tertiary institutions.
Through intense formal and informal programmes for guidance and
counselling, character formation was achieved, Muithya (1996). It is through
guidance and counselling that students remain disciplined and focused in life.
Collins (2002) indicates that through guidance and counselling students are
assisted to be disciplined and become able to deal with challenges and realities
24
they face in their academic, social and physical environment. However many
youths still pose the danger of becoming undisciplined due to the changing
cultures and the eroding of norms in society.
Ndirangu (2000) explains that even though the guidance and counselling
services are focused in schools the students and the general public quite far
from understand what it entails and its applicability. From the studies it was
proved that group and individual counselling is to applied on particular cases.
Nevertheless it is essential to embrace guidance and counselling services to
our institutions to curb the unwanted character traits. This study sought to
establish how guidance and counselling would be used to restore good
discipline in secondary schools in the modern permissive society.
REFERENCES
Allis, M.S & Kamel, M.I.(1999) Children Experiencing Violence. II: Relevance
and Determinants of Corporal Punishment in Schools, Child Abuse and
Neglect.
Amukoa, B.F. (1984). Need for Serious Counselling in Schools. Unpublished
PGDE Project. Kenya University. Unpublished.
Anwana, U. I. (1989). An analysis of occupational preferences of farm five
students in secondary schools in Cross River State education 3 (1) 32 – 38
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Atieno, O. (2009). An analysis of the strengths and limitation of qualitative
and quantitative research paradigms. Problems of Education in the 21st
Century, 1313-18. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Ayieko, J.S. (1988). Solving discipline problems in Kenyan secondary
schools. Nottingham: The university of Nottingham Best, W.J. & Kahn, V.J.
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(1998) Research in Education (6th edition). Eaglewood Cliff. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall Inc. Borg, R.W. & Gall, M.D. (1989). Educational Research (6th
edition).New York: Longman Inc.
Bulus, I. (2001). Counselling and counsellor education Nigeria: The post
present and future challenges” ABU Journal of counselling and Human
Development 1(1), 284 – 299.
Burks, H. M. & Stefflre, B. (1979). Theories of counselling. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Ndirangu, J.M (2000) Youth in Danger: A Handbook for teachers, Students,
Parents, Pastors and Community Workers. Nairobi: Uzima.
UNESCO. (2002). New Roles and Challenges for Guidance and Counselling.
Paris: iac.
Witmer, J.M.(1990). Consultancy on Establishing a Guidance and
Counselling Education at the University of Botswana. Ohio: Ohio University
College of Education, Athens, Ohio-August 28th, 1990).
INTRODUCTION
Guidance and counselling sought to prepare the youths, students and
pupils in their schooling program to enter into the world of appropriate work by
linking the school curriculum to employment. For the school to be successful in
this endeavour, subjects should be taught at a pleasant and convenient
environment and should be made relevant and interesting to the pupils. Another
factor that needs to be considered is the recruitment of competent teachers
capable of guiding and counselling learners in relating what they teach to the job
market. What is taught and how it is taught can have great influence on the
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interest and perception of learners. In Nigeria the spirit to plan and use guidance
and counselling services in the effective development and utilization of their
respective young human resources is evidently strong.
However, as Biswalo (1996) said the efforts directed towards fulfilling this
need are apparently thwarted by several difficulties. It appears total and
enlightened commitment on the part of policy and decision makers is necessary
and should be definitely surmount the problems. The emergence of career
development in western countries as a construct suggests that it may be an
essential area in developing country like Nigeria where students need assistance;
students particularly need assistance in selecting colleges and courses. To this
end, the schools should offer career guidance and counselling programme under
the table leadership of qualified school counsellors.
Schools in Nigeria run programmes that are deficient in diversification to
cater for all career choice of the students. In these schools, most of the students
are lefty unguided because their schools have no guidance and counsellors.
Hence, this makes the standard of students prone to making unwise career
choice because there are no counsellors to guide them. Guidance therefore helps
in recipient to grow the independence and ability of students to be responsible.
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The National Policy on Education (1998) specifically mentioned the need
for counselling programmes in school. According to Adegoke (2004) the
counsellor can assist in-school adolescents to handle behavioural, educational
and psychological problems. Alabi (2006) noted that this process creates a
change in personality organization and structure which are relatively permanent.
The place of counselling programmes in schools cannot be overemphasized
especially with the daily expansion in the enrolment of students in schools,
growing needs of youths in Nigeria, the continual unrest in schools and the
repeated changes in the educational system (Idowu, 2004). Counselling services
has become an essential programme in schools and this cannot be done in
isolation. There is the need for the counsellor to develop good relationship with
other school personnel.
On the other hand, guidance and counselling is a helping profession which
is concerned with moulding, reconstructing and rehabilitating a trouble anxiety
person. It is a self-revealing relationship and both preventive and curative of
maladaptive behaviour. It is globally accepted that, guidance and counselling
activities are for human beings, those with or without problems, normal and
abnormal because, students are prone to making unwise career choice or no
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choice at all because there is no counsellor to guide them, until after schooling.
The elementary school level of education is the most important in all education
levels. It is for this reason that it is labelled primary school. The primary school,
is but part of the early education processes that prepares a child for the
secondary school, among other numerous benefits. It is important to note here
that both the primary school teachers and parents of the kids join hands to
mould the mind of the child to a meaningful status.
The need to institute counselling programmes in primary school cannot be
over emphasized. Human mind at this level is usually in a “tabular rasa” form.
This implies that the mind of the child, at this level is virgin and open, needing to
be filled up. By virtues of good counselling and subsequent training, the kid
begins to develop positively. This is what task this paper explores using guidance
and counselling as a prolific tool for effective human living and adjustment. Thus,
guidance and counselling are remedial, preventive and developmental. It takes
care of the needs of the pupils to demonstrate adjustment and maturity in
relationships and cushion possible discovery of their talents, talents, abilities,
potentialities, strengths and weakness at the earliest stages for their own
betterment.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN THE LIFE OF
NIGERIAN YOUTHS
1. Prepares the youths for career and personal challenger through career and
personal development,
2. It makes them competent for future success,
3. Equips them with all the latest career trends,
4. Improves personal development,
5. Shapes the youths for decision taking and making the process by
developing their interpersonal skills,
6. Induces teamwork and leadership qualities,
7. Educates them about the changing world,
8. Fosters effective learning,
9. Gives them a feeling of being heard,
10. Facilitates with better communication skills and enhances their
personalities.
ROLE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND
TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN TODAY’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
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1. Gives wings to the dreams of the youths through vocational and careeroriented guidance,
2. Lends hear to individual problems both academic and personal,
3. Aids in personal development,
4. Offers information about jobs, interviews, career scopes, advantages of
selecting a specific field, the process of achieving it.
5. Advises on study techniques,
6. Makes the youths mentally prepared for future outcomes,
7. Leads the youths to a pathway by motivating on the strong points,
8. Works on polishing the skills to reach a determined goal,
9. Introduces to external agencies.
CONCEPT OF EDUCATION, GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
In his article, Njagi (2007), quotes a teacher, Melania who describes
education as a process. She is quoted as saying education “is a system of passing
on and acquiring knowledge, experience, values and skills. It is a lifelong
process”. In distinguishing between African indigenous education system and the
modern European system she says that African indigenous education was
informal but integrated and comprehensive. Its concern was character formation
and dissemination of holistic values, while the modern education system is about
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memory and passing examinations with less emphasis for character and unique
value formation. Collins (2002) says that guidance and counseling is important
because it provides an insight on working knowledge, skills and attitudes.
It is necessary to assist young people to be disciplined and be able to deal
with challenges and realities they face in their ever changing environment,
understand themselves, their academic social and physical environment, realize
their potentials, as well as identify opportunities in a world where chances for
further training, employment and advancement continue to dwindle. Learners
are counseled to alter any maladjusted behaviour. Since most citizens are
involved in education process directly or indirectly, the impact of guidance and
counseling is real to them.
COUNSELLING FOR BOTH LIFE CHOICE AND CAREER CHOICE ON THE LIVES
OF THE NIGERIAN YOUTHS AND STUDENTS
Parents and the youths still believe in bringing good grades to get into the
best engineering or dental colleges that will give them a successful career. But, it
is also important to know the interests of children; here the teacher plays a vital
role. Choosing the right stream or field for the children and some youths is totally
dependent on self-assessment. Self-assessment includes observing the abilities,
interest area, analytical skills, work style and personality of the child. With broad
career options, teachers need to equip the child with all recent trends, current
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developments in different streams, demands and financial prospectus giving
priority to the child’s interests.
WHY GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Guidance and Counselling therefore recognizes the worth and dignity of the
individual and is designed to enhance, the total development of mental,
vocational, emotional, intellectual and socio personal aspects of the clients. It is
purely an education service which among others:
➢ Develop, assess and improve educational programmes,
➢ Enhance teaching and improve the competence of teachers,
➢ Make reasoning more meaningful to children ,
➢ Reduce educational costs,
➢ Develop and promote an effective use of innovative materials in
schools.(Federal Republic of Nigeria,2004).
This is consequent on the fact that Nigeria’s philosophy of education is based
on the assimilation of the individual into a sound and effective citizen and equal
educational opportunities for all her citizenry.
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PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN
NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
In the Nigerian education, government have not yet formulated in the
education policy issues pertaining guidance and counselling in spite of the
crucially and necessity in schools. This consequently makes Biswalo (1996)
pointed out that in Nigeria policies pertinent to guidance and counselling is still
lacking. He continued saying that efforts directed towards fulfilling guidance and
counselling needs are apparently thwarted by several difficulties including
financial resources to support the even established tiny counselling activities in
several schools.
In Nigeria till today, counselling is relatively new phenomenon. There are
no enough qualified counsellors in schools and other education institutions.
However, there are limited number of qualified counsellors, they are either not
utilized well in schools or they are engaged in other activities rather than what
they are trained for. Some of school counsellors are also teachers and they are
fully occupied with teaching responsibilities. More surprisingly counselling is
perceived as a crucial avenue for only prevention of HIV infection through
provision of adequate and relevant information, and for social and psychological
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support of people infected and affected by the HIV/Aids (Sima, 2004). There is
slow growth of guidance and counselling in educational systems attributed to
lack of funds, training facilities, and high turnover of guidance counsellors to
green pastures and in adequately trained counsellors. For instance in many
schools they lack counselling offices, trained teacher-counsellors and counselling
equipments.
In terms of funds there are various options that can be explored to
alleviate financial constraints. Special schools on behalf of parents in need can
approach non-governmental organizations. The absence of solid professional
counselling association in Nigeria to set standards for the appropriate practice is
another challenge (Nwoye, 2008). Also insufficient availability of professional
counsellor training programs in
Nigerian colleges and Universities is another contributing challenge.
Conclusion
The establishment of modern guidance and counselling in Nigerian
educational systems cannot be overemphasis as it plays a major role in the lives
of the youths for more sophisticated and integrated package that help these
individuals to satisfy their problems and concerns of presents day living.
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On the other hand, guidance and counselling as a service is designed to
help an individual analyse himself by capabilities, achievements, interest mode of
adjustment towards what new decision he has made or has make. Therefore,
since guidance and counselling is a profession, for effective counselling to take
place it must involves the application of basic principles for effective helping.
These however, include the principle of understanding, sequential process;
appreciate self-disclosure and observance of ethics. Their applications not only
make counselling effective but also add to the specialist of the counselling
relationship.
Counselling, on the other hand is the soul of the guidance programme, and
the wheel upon which guidance rotates. It is a process in which a specialist
counsellor undertakes to assist another person in a person to person or face to
face encounter. The assistance may take many forms which includes educational,
vocational, social, recreational, emotional and or moral, and this could be
organized in groups or individually.
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REFERENCES
Bamgbaiye (2000) NCE Lecture Note on Guidance and Counselling, S.S.C.O.E
Sokoto
Carew (1985) Guidance Services in Adult Education. University press, Lagos PP 71
Collins, G.R (2007) Christian Counseling (3rd edition.) Dallas: Thomas
Nelson Publishers.
Dobson (1974) The Role of Follow-up in Guidance Services, a Paper presented at
B.UK
Dobson, J.S. Ewens, W.P. & SCALS J.M (1974).Career Guidance a System Approach.
Kendal press Lagos p. 587. 588
Ezekwesil, O.(2006) Obasanjo Reforms to Education Sector. N.E.R.D.C. Lagos.
Njagi, D (2000).African Homestead is a Dynamic School: The Meru Community.
Journal of African Cultures and Religion: Maryknoll Institute of African
Studies, 2,107-111.
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