Guidance and counselling, a pre-requisite for junior secondary school education

Introduction

From the ordinary use of the word Guidance, the impression is that it refers to directing, steering, leading, piloting and controlling an individual towards actions, behaviours, decisions and opinions that would be beneficial to him. Also counselling is a part and core of Guidance services. Shertzer and Stone (1976) see guidance as the process of helping individuals to understand themselves and their world. This means that guidance is a continuous assistance to people to discover or rediscover themselves (strengths and weaknesses) in order to achieve their live goals within the framework of their environmental forces. From this definition above, guidance could be seen as a help to the individual and in ‘’a one and for all’’ basis but from cradle to death. Such help enables the person to identify his life goals, means of achieving them and problems militating against his reaching his goals. Guidance would enable the individual to answer such questions as “who am I?”   What am I capable of doing? “How can I fit into my society?”, “How can I maximally use the opportunities within my environment to achieve my life goals?

Oladele (1987) see guidance as an umbrella term which refers to all that is done to protect and guide the development of students. It is the help given by one person to another in making choice and adjustment and solving problems. In order words, he sees guidance as a big package of activities and actions geared towards the healthy development of the child. The child needs proper social, mental and physical development and it becomes the function of guidance to help him in these directions. In fulfilling this function, guidance provides the child with the right frame of reference in making judicious choices among alternative lines of actions and decisions. In addition, it prepares him for the challenges and problems of life within his environment.

In clarifying the usage of the term guidance, Arbuckle (1996) highlighted the differences inherent in the term when used as a concept, as an educational construct or as a service. Thus, as a concept-guidance denotes the utilization of point of view in order to help an individual.

• As an educational construct – it refers to the provision of experiences that help pupils to understand themselves.
• As a service – it refers to procedures and processes organized to achieve a helping relationship.

On the other hand, Dustin and George (1973) defined counselling as a learning process designed to increase adaptive behaviour and to decrease maladaptive behaviour. They view counselling as a help given to an individual to bring out those qualities in him that confirm with the norms of the society while discouraging the antisocial tendencies in him.

Lewis (1970)sees it as a process by which a troubled person (the client) is helped to feel and behave in a mere personality satisfying manner through interaction with an uninvolved person (the counsellor) who provides information and reaction which stimulate the client to develop behaviours which enables him to deal more effectively with himself and his environment. In other words, the individual is in a crisis situation, needs the help of a neutral person who provides him with vital cues that would enables him to cope with his problems both for now and in future.

Ipaye (1983) considers counselling as a form of personal helping carried out mainly by means of interpersonal communication whereby the counsellor helps the counselling in achieving adaptive attitudes, insights and behaviour. It is a method of helping the individual utilizes his or her psychological resources by focusing on that individual’s personality, behavioural and emotional assets that could be mobilized.

Counselling as a helping service is both preventive and curative. One error committed by many people is to think that counselling is meant only for problematic situations or only for people with problems. The truth is that it is meant for all-“normal” or persons having problems by creating opportunities for them to cope with the problems now and in the future when they occur in their process of growth and development. The main focus of counselling therefore is to aid the individual to explore and participate in his own development towards a self-reliant and fulfilled person.

One of the striking differences between guidance and counselling was demonstrated by Oladele (1987), who demonstrates the differences between guidance and counselling with two teaching models-traditional/teacher – centred and the progressive/student-centred models. He likens guidance to the traditional/teacher-centred models with the following elements: teacher teaching the child certain values, values of the child not considered; teacher knows everything good for the child and goes on to select what the child should learn; teacher modulates the pattern of behaviour of the child to conform with adult values and principles; the pupils role here is passive. While counselling is likened to the progressive/student-centred model with the following elements-teachers does not undertake to indicate a standard pattern of character; he provides the necessary cues for the child’s self-development in his environment, the teacher not a teller of facts or demonstrator but organizes the learning activities and encourages the pupils to work independently or in groups. In this model the pupil is assumed to be reasonable, creative, innovative, objective and plays useful role in the counselling situation.

Conceptual framework

Shertzer and Stone (1976) see guidance as the process of helping individuals to understand themselves and their world. What this means is that guidance is a continuous assistance to people to discover or rediscover themselves (strengths and weaknesses) in order to achieve their life goals within the framework of their environmental forces. Furthermore, the above definition by Shertzer and Stone, guidance could be seen as a help to the individual not in “a once and for all” basis but from cradle to death.

Such a help enables the person to identify his life goals, means of achieving them and problems militating against his reaching his goals. Guidance would enable the individual to answer such questions such as “Who am I?”, “What am I capable of doing?”, “How can I fit into my society?”, “How can I maximally use the opportunities within my environment to achieve my life goals?”

For Oladele (1987), guidance is an umbrella term which refers to all that is done to protect and guide the development of students. It is the help given by one person to another in making choice and adjustment and solving problems. In other words, Oladele see guidance as a big package of activities and actions geared towards the healthy development of the child. The child needs proper social, mental and physical development and it becomes the function of guidance to help him in these directions. In fulfilling this function, guidance provides the child with the right frame of reference in making judicious choices among alternative lines of actions and decisions. In addition, it prepares him for the challenges and problems of life within his environment.

In clarifying the usage of the term guidance, Arbuckle et al. (1966) highlighted the differences inherent in the term when used as a concept, as an educational construct or as a service. Thus:

• As a concept – guidance denotes the utilization of point of service of view in order to help an individual.
• As an educational construct – it refers to the provision of experiences that help pupils to understand themselves.
• As a service – it refers to procedures and processes organised to achieve a help relationship.

Miller (1986) defines guidance as the process of helping individuals achieve the self-understanding and self direction necessary to make a maximum adjustment to school, home and community. What Miller is saying is that guidance includes the assistance offered to the individual to enable him appraise himself, to come to term with his actual self (his temperaments, personality traits, abilities, potentialities and inabilities). Such a realization will enable him to set life goals and objectives which will help him to benefit from the opportunities at school, home and the community.

Ipaye (1983) considers guidance in its generic label – an umbrella that covers all the means whereby an institution identifies and responds to the individual needs of pupils or students, thereby helping the child to develop to his maximum potentials. The use of guidance in his generic umbrella sense would include counselling because according to Ipaye, most guidance activities involve some form of counselling and most counselling involves the provision of some guidance.

Running a probing thread through the above and many other definition of guidance, one would observe areas of agreements and overlap. Most definitions emphasize guidance as a progressive helping service rendered to an individual in order for him to identify his potentialities (self-realization) and make the best adjustment to his environment. Guidance would therefore help the individual to develop self-consciousness, self-direction and ability to solve personal problems of life. Oladele (1987) maintains that guidance id not confined to the school or family alone, but it is found in all phases of life – in the home, in business and industry, in government, in social life, in hospitals, indeed, it is present where there are people who need help and where ever there are people who desire to help.

Objective of guidance and counselling

Guidance in the primary school aims at helping the child to make use of the available resources in his environment to develop a wholesome personality, this entails helping him to profit from his educational opportunities and to realize his potentials. Guidance at this level is focussed on assisting pupils to integrate such primary forces as the home, school, the church and peer relationships in a manner that would make him an adjusted person. In other words, it assists the pupil to develop a harmonious and integrated personality through carefully planned school activities or experiences which reflect the integration of the forces impinging on the individual. Consequently, objectives are set for the child, the teacher and the parents.

Child

1. To assist the child to develop increased self-understanding and comprehension of the relationship between his abilities, interests, personalities, achievements and opportunities.
2. To facilitate the socialization process and a sensitivity to the needs of others. To develop social interest and a feeling of belongingness.
3. To help the child become purposeful and responsible
4. To assist him to develop the intrinsic motivation for learning that is necessary for academic competence.
5. To promote increase self-direction, problem-solving, decision making and involvement in the educational process by the child. i.e. to help the child learn to learn.
6. To develop wholesome attitude and concept about self; in feeling of adequacy and self acceptance and the courage to function in the tasks of life.
7. To understand the causal and purposive nature of human behaviour and as a result, to mature in human relations.

Teachers

1. To gear the total educational programme to meet the needs of all pupils in the intellectual, personal and social areas.
2. To promote understanding of an individual and to encourage the individualization of instruction. Hence, reconciling the individual’s uniqueness and the educational programme.
3. To stimulate and promote the use of guidance procedures by the teacher and the total staff, thereby increasing the utilization of meaningful pupil personal data.
4. To promote early identification of assets and talents, as well as liabilities of pupils.
5. To develop recognition of the importance of readiness and involvement process and the necessity of involvement in the educational process, as crucial concept which produce purpose educational experience.
6. To reconcile the uniqueness of the individual and the demands of school and society.

Parents

1. To assist parents in dealing with human relations problems in the family setting as they relate to the child.
2. To help them through realistic views about their children’s development in relation to their potentials.
3. To help them understand their children educational and societal progress and problems.

The above objectives of guidance in the primary school can only be achieved through effective guidance programmes where there is cooperation between teacher, counsellor, parents, administrators and community. The counsellor provides services to the child directly – through counselling, pupils appraisal, and group guidance and indirectly, through consultation with teachers and parents.

In Nigeria, much of the guidance efforts are being directed at students in secondary and tertiary institutions carelessly neglecting the primary school pupils. Who said that primary school pupils do not need guidance services? One of the principles of guidance is that, it is a continuous, sequential, educational process. In other words, it should concern itself with the total development of the child beginning from the elementary school and continuing throughout life.

Need for guidance in the primary school

The Nigerian educational policy makers believe that “sine the rest of the educational system is built upon it, the primary level is the key to the success or failure of the whole system. The National Policy on Education (1989) further revealed in Nigeria include among others.

1. Character and moral training and the development of sound attitudes.
2. Developing in the child the ability to adapt to his changing environment.
3. Providing basic tools for further educational advancement/including preparation for trades and crafts of the locality.

Based on the foregoing, the sound argument for guidance in primary school is that to realize the objectives of primary school services specialists (counsellors) are needed especially to give the necessary information and guidance for the child to adapt to his changing environment, develop sound attitudes and prepare for further educational and vocational advancement. If the guidance base is not strong in the primary schools, the whole educational system would be in danger of a hopeless collapse.

Apart from the realisation of the above general primary school objective, there are a lot of other reasons to justify guidance services in the primary school. They include:

The nature of the child

Most primary school children in Nigeria are expected to be between the ages of 6 and 11 years. Consequently, there are a lot of important developmental changes and tasks during this stage of development which vary from child to child. This variation in the developmental changes creates adjustment problems both for the child, teacher and parents. The child, teacher and parents therefore need the service of guidance to cope with these differential developmental changes and tasks.

The need of the child

Some of the needs of the child in the primary school apart from the physiological needs include, need for maturity in self-acceptance and in self-understanding, need to adjust to social groups and relationships, need for minimum dependence and responsibility; need for problem solving skills in learning. Primary school guidance is therefore needed to help the child to satisfy these needs

Roles of the primary school counsellor

Guidance in the primary school should be part of the total education programme and should be available to all pupils. The activities, tasks and responsibilities of counsellors have been such of much attention. A large and ever increasing literature has sought to determine and clarify what school counsellors “ought” and “ought not” do.

Peters and Shertzer (1974), the major activity of counsellors at the secondary or elementary school level, is counselling. That is the reason why individuals are employed as counsellor to provide a helping relationship with pupils/students which enables them to examine and cope with their developmental concerns.

The second major activity of counsellors in secondary and primary school is that of consulting with teachers, parents and administrators. All other assignments are observed that the amount of time devoted to counselling contacts varies from school to school but it has been recommended that counselling should occupy from two-thirds to three-fourths of a counsellor’s time.

In Nigeria, it is lamentable to note that counsellors in most schools are made to engage in activities other than counselling or non-guidance activities such as attendance taking, disciplining of students, clerical, teaching, etc. one is anxiously looking forward to seeing a situation in Nigeria when all school counsellors would be allowed to shed off non-guidance activities in schools. The role of the guidance counsellor must be that of a child advocate (Stamm and Nissman, 1979).

Among other roles played by primary school counsellor are the following as listed by Okeotuonye (1974); Shertzer and Stone (1976); Makinde (1988); Peters and Shertzer (1974):

1. Counselling
2. Consultation
3. Observation and case study of certain children
4. Testing and data interpretation
5. Development and use of cumulative records
6. Referral
7. Interpreting the school character to those responsible for curriculum
8. Informational service
9. Placement
10. Research and evaluation
11. Public relations

Counselling

As stated earlier, the primary function of any counsellor in a school should be counselling of pupils who have one form of problem or the other that militates against their normal development and adjustment to their environment (school, home, social groups, etc.). Some of the children in the primary schools have serious emotional, social or academic problems that need the attention of a counsellor. The counsellor could use individual or group counselling method in helping these children out of the problems.

Consultation

The second major activity of a counsellor in the school system is that of consulting with teachers, parents and administrators as regards to total welfare of the child.

1. With Parents

• The counsellor acts as a consultant to parents regarding the growth and development of their children
• Providing them with information about their children for a better parent – child relationship.
• Providing them with information about educational opportunities and their requirement in the locality as well as counselling programmes and related services available to them and their children.
• Assist them to develop realistic perceptions of their children’s development in relation to their potentialities and hoe the children’s developmental status affect their behaviour pattern.

1. With Teacher

• The counsellor helps teacher to understand the children with their individual differences.
• He helps the teacher in coping strategies for the problem with children in the class as well as to develop better behaviour modification techniques in the class.
• Helps them to identify pupils with special needs and problems.
• Helps the teachers in the planning at appropriate curriculum for the pupils as well as the grouping and scheduling of pupils.

• With Administrators.

The counsellor as a consultant to the members of the administrative staff in primary school (e.g. the Headmaster) by sharing appropriate individual pupils data with them; In addition, he interprets the guidance philosophy and needs to the administrator.

Observation and Case Study of Certain Children

The counsellor in the primary school in the observation and case study of certain children in school with peculiar emotions, social health and academic problems,his report on and finding from such children would be valuable in handling such problems.

1. Testing and data interpretation

Through effective use of test and non-test techniques, the primary school counsellor plays a dominant role in the appraising of pupils in the school. The result of his test and non-test process could be interpreted to indentify pupils with adjustment, social, academic or development problems that need urgent attention by specialists.

2. Development and use of cumulative record

Cumulative record presents an organized progressive record of information about individual’s pupils, which distinguishes them from all other pupils. If well designed they can present a comprehensive picture of pupils and their background. Included in the cumulative record are personal data and family background information; medical and health information, data of school entry, school class, transcripts from previous schools attended, personality and behaviour trait rating, school activities, anecdotal record, and auto-biographies written in class setting. The counsellor in the primary school spearheads the development of such vital records and encourages teachers and other pupil’s personnel worker in the school to make effective adjustment to school situations and to understand them.

Referral

Pupil’s problems beyond the competence of the counsellor and the significant other in the school (e.g. health, emotion, social, problems etc) are referred out the counsellor to competent specialities within or outside the locality but with parent approval. Such references could be made to the dentists, doctors, police, etc.

Interpreting the school character to those responsible for curriculum change

The counsellor, the teachers and the headmaster are in advantage position to know the character of the school such as pupil’s needs, interests, school philosophy and goals, school type, school problems, school peculiarities etc. The counsellor helps to relay such vital information about the school through his headmaster to the appropriate quarters (often the minister of education) charge with the responsibility of curriculum of designs and changes

Informational service

The primary school counsellor would be responsible for gathering and disseminating vital information to both pupils and their parents on school subject and courses, opportunities for further education, careers and career training opportunities. For example, he helps them to know about the secondary school in the community, entry requirements, and mode of entry. Those unable to further their studies in secondary schools are informed about the world of work in the locality.

Placement

The counsellor in the primary schools plays an important role on the placement of pupils in special programmes in or outside the school. For example, some pupils need remedial or special classes while some need accelerated school programmes due to their peculiarities established through appraisal services. He also helps pupils to make transition from one level to another and one school to another.

Research and evaluation

The primary school counsellor conducts or helps others who are conducting local research in the area of pupils needs, interest and study habits. He also evaluates the effectiveness and success or other wise of the programmes in the school.

Public relations

The counsellor uses any available opportunities, example P.T.A. meetings, schooldays, prize giving day, school sport day, etc to enlighten parents and members of the local community on the guidance services/activities in the school and at the same time solicits for their moral and financial support. He also lies between the school and the community on the needs of the schools and the children.

Ikeotuoye (1984), suggest that “the primary school counsellors training or preparation should be slight different from that of his secondary school counterpart in terms of emphasis and orientation” because of the peculiarities of functions as listed and discussed above. We shall the issue of counsellor training or preparation for Nigeria school in later chapter.

In conclusion, this author advocate for elementary guidance services that are not incidental but those are scheduled, planned for and constantly evaluated for an all round development of the child. This is born from the conviction that if long and short range goals and objectives of any educational system are to be realized, they must be built on a solid foundation of an elementary school guidance programme.

Need for guidance in the secondary school

The need for guidance services in Nigeria secondary school is greater today than before in view of the following;

Realising the aim of secondary education

The two broad aims of secondary education in Nigeria as stated the national policy on education (1989) include

• Preparation for useful living within the society.
• Preparation for higher education.

1. In specify terms, the secondary school provide and increasing number school pupils with the opportunity for education of higher quality, irrespective of sex, or social religions and ethnic background.
2. Diversity its curriculum to cater for the differences in talents, opportunities and roles possessed by or open to students after secondary course, equip students to live effectively in our modern ages of science and technology develop and project Nigeria culture, art and language as well as the world culture heritage, raise a generation of people who can think for themselves, respect the view and feeling of others, respect the dignity of labour, and appreciate those values specified under our broad national arms and live as good citizens.
3. Forster Nigeria until with an emphasis on the common ties that unite us in our diversity.
4. Inspired its student with a desire for achievement and self improvement both at school and in later life.

There is a dire need for guidance services in secondary school in order to realise the above stated aims and objectives of secondary education; guidance in this direction through its programmes of helping the students to understand themselves and their world, they have helped to realised their potentials and to use them for self-actualization and self fulfilment. In fact guidance would help the students to become functional being to the benefit of him-self and the society.

Recent development in educational system

The educational system bequeathed to Nigeria by the Colonial administration after independence was to say the least myopic, retrogressive defective and perhaps a calculated attempt to make the nation perpetual technological underdogs. In fact, the system fails to meet the needs of aspiration of the nation in terms of her manpower requirement for development. The structure of the education system was the “6-5-2-3” or “6-5-4” as follows;

• Guidance and counselling particularly at the junior level of the secondary school will play important role in the education and social growth of the individual.
• The range of courses that will be available to pupils call for the help of a counsellor.
• The wide spectrum of individual deference among applicant for junior secondary makes guidance necessary.
• Without academic and career guidance and counselling in the junior secondary school, the whole purpose cannot be achieved.
• If our society is not be plagued by a brood of disgruntled frustrated and unrealistic individuals, secondary school student should be exposed to available opportunities and social expectation in the country through career guidance and counselling.

Onanuga (1987) mention that within the comprehensive nature of the new secondary school setup, only good guidance and counselling can help the children through choice of schools or universities. He however warns that within the change in educational system whereby there is little or no room for selection into secondary school, children of diverse cultural backgrounds, believes, temperaments, interest and abilities are put together except there is guidance and counselling to reconcile diverse opinions, there will be chaos in the schools.

The author is of the opinion that new education system in Nigeria is of the greatest positive developments that has ever taken place in the nation’s educational system. Therefore, to achieve its laudable objectives in secondary schools, there is need for guidance services especially to help the students in choice of subject, vocation, adjustment and transition from one stage/school to another.

Social-economic and technology change

The Nigeria society and economic has change rapidly from agrarian to technology oriented society/economic; in the past man Nigerians lived in the rural areas with farming as their main source of income and livelihood, life was simple within the community and cases of hypertension were rare. The worked in the farm, the mother process the food while children were given simple task. A family could budget on the proceeds from the farm and has made people to work very hard because if the farm failed, there would be great deficits in the family economic budget and consequently hardship would besiege the family unemployment. A man was his boss, children learnt the trade of their parent or renowned in the community, the people were happy within the community and were ones brothers’ keepers.

The so called “out-boom” of the 70s_­ had dramatic changing influence on the social, economic, political and technological life of the people in Nigeria. To say the least; there was an alight from agrarian based economy to a “petro-naira” economy, there were rapid industrial growths, more job opportunities in the firms, ministries, companies etc. This is turn favoured a rural-urban population drift to seek paid “blue-collar” jobs in the fast growing cities to the detriment of the traditional occupations in rural communities. In fact, there were more jobs and hence wider range of choice, societal sophistication or complexity, emergence of new form of social ills like armed robbery, drugs abuse, cocaine pushing, certificates racketing, examination malpractices (recall the notorious “expo 70”).

Suddenly, the global economic recession and oil glut set in out still has effect on the Nigeria economy, technology and social life. Obadira (1988) describes the situation in these words. Factories, firms and companies that hummed while the oil boom lasted closed down, those that do not close retrench their work force, and students are now faces with few opportunities and the issues of job instability. Today job satisfaction as factors in the close of career has become secondary. Emphasis is on, more on whether or not the job is attractive and offer satisfaction. The Nigeria situation is now how to secure the job first.

The above highlighted socio-economic and technological changes in Nigeria have serious guidance implications/needs in secondary school. Thus;

• The secondary school students need guidance in making wise decision/choice of career/job.
• They need guidance to relate cordially with a host of people they would meet at school and in work situation.
• As a result of complexity of contemporary Nigeria society and culture, the secondary school students need guidance for adjustment and existence in such a society.

Change in the word or work

Consequence upon the social-economic and technology changes in Nigeria as discussed above, there are vital changes in the world of work, which have implication for guidance in secondary school. According to Avent (1978), the work one does stamps on him certain social-economic identity, shapes, including his circle of friends and leisure time pursuit. Different jobs in Nigeria require different skill, training, condition of service, personality trait. The secondary school students need to be furnished with such vital information by the counsellors in school to avoid defective choice, which may have devastating consequences.

Identification of students’ talent/potentialities

In view of the specialized manpower, to man the different section of nation’s economy and to lead Nigeria to technological and scientific breakthrough/development, guidance in the secondary schools;    Hence counsellors in secondary school through the effective use of appraisal services, counselling techniques test interpretation etc can identify students with special talent, potential, aptitudes interest etc for various careers. On the other hand, limitation of students can equally be identified by the counsellor in secondary schools the various ways of overcoming such limitation and sought for benefit of the student and the society. Thus, students in secondary school are guided to select subject and careers where they are best suited for eventual contributions to national development/advancement.

Interpretation of test

This is another vital area where guidance services are needed in the secondary schools especially in view of the new national policy on education and parents’ expectation from school as far as their children are concerned. Counsellors are in best positions in secondary school to construct appropriate testing instrument to measure the students’ abilities, attitude, interest, social differentials etc Napier (1972), mentions that it takes well trained individual to convey skillfully the meaning of the different test to the students. Proper interpretation and utilization of the results of such test would help parents, teachers, school authority and the student for better decisions about and understanding the students.

Students deviant behaviour

Who has not been heard of the rampant behaviours common in our secondary school today? These deviant behaviour range from steeling, drug abuse, lies, rape, examination malpractice, riots, homosexual act, abortion, fighting and other forms of lawlessness.

Some of these behavioural problems are consequent upon societal and family influences while other reflects the frustration and confusions in students. To reduces or check these problems among students, guidance services become a necessity.

Quest for higher education

Despite the high cost of university education underemployment and unemployment patterns among graduates from our institutions of higher learning, the desire for higher education among secondary school students continues to be on the increase. Consequently, the enrolment figures in our institutions of higher learning are becoming explosive. Essien (1978) attributes this increase in demand for the government drives to create in this country as just and equalitarian society and land are equal opportunity and the belief that education can be best serve the cause of national unity and greatness.

Pathetically, most of these young students in secondary schools waiting higher education has limited information and knowledge about the nation and after math higher education; funny enough, some of them would like to go to a university or other higher institution just to impress their parents and friends. Other is ignorant of the entry requirement, education, cost, etc for courage of their dreams. Against their background; therefore the need for guidance services in the secondary school becomes clearer, guidance will help our teeming youth in secondary school to become aware of the types of location of higher institution in the country, their course offerings, financial cost, entry requirement, scholarship/bursary awards, and job opportunities open to the graduates from such institutions.

A lot of Nigerian secondary school students do not complete their courses in the secondary school owing to some prevailing factors such as death of their parents, guidance, ill health, intellectual, crazy to get rich quick etc closely related to the issue of dropout from one set in school resulting in repetition (Onanuga, 1983). This could also be attributed to wrong orientation to school environment and work, lack guidance, family teaching and evaluation methods etc. To reduce incidence of dropouts in the secondary school, guidance services are needed.

The function of the secondary school counsellor

As stated earlier in the previous chapter counsellor is the single most important function of school counsellors. According to Uba et al (1990), they are called counsellor because they counsel, whether at the group level or at the individual counselling level. All other professional activities such as test result, career information, autobiographic, they maintain relatively meaningless if they do not provide information that enhances the effectiveness of the counselling process.

Most of the functions recommended for Nigeria scholars (Makinde, 1988), (Ikeotuonye 1984), (Uba etal, 1990) are quite similar to those recommended by American school counsellor association in 1964 for American school counsellors (Arthur 1970) they include;

Planning and development of the guidance programme

The counsellor does this by helping in defining the objectives, the programmes, identifies the needs of the students, maps out plans for action, coordinates the various aspects and personnel of the programme and helps to evaluating the programme, he also prepares the yearly guidance budget for the school.

Counselling

The counsellor helps students through counselling relationship to understand themselves in relation to their word, overcome, cope with or prevent problems, develop proper decision making skills.

Appraisal

He plays leading role in students appraisal programme by co-ordinating the accumulation and use of meaningful information about each student; he also interprets information about students, relates them to the student themselves, to their parent, to teachers and to others who are professionally concerned. Though appraisal programmes he can identify students with special abilities or needs.

Information collection and dissemination

The school counsellor collects and disseminates vital information to students and parents on school subjects and courses, opportunities for further studies, careers and career training opportunities within the locality as well as other social or recreational facilities in the locality.

Referral work

Because there limit to time and skill available to the counsellor and because there is limited role expectation for the counsellor; referral to other individuals and agencies become a necessary part of his functions, this referral  may be made to other specialist, teachers, doctors, dentist, pastors etc. He liaises with such referral agents for co-operation and makes students and parents to be aware of such students and services.

Educational and occupational planning

Here, assist the parents and the students to relate to the interests, attitudes and abilities to correct and further educational, occupational opportunities and requirement, long range educational plans and choices. Helps students and parents in understanding procedures for making application and planning for financing the students educational goals beyond secondary school level; he equally consult with school administers and members of the school department relative to the curriculum offering which will meet the abilities, interest and needs of the students.

Placement

With both the individuals and the information services, the counsellor assumes some responsibilities for placement student by;

• Planning with teachers and administrators for the grouping and scheduling of pupils.
• Helping pupils to make appropriate choice of school programme and to develop long-range plans of study.
• Helping them to make successful transition from one school to another and from school to employment.
• Aids in college and university entrance.

Parents help

The counsellor holds conference with parent and act as a resource person on the growth and development in their children; he also interprets the guidance programmes in the school to parents as well as providing them with information about educational, occupational opportunities and requirements for their children. He helps them to have realistic perception for their children attitudes, interest, abilities etc for better planning of their children’s educational and occupational programmes.

Staff consulting

It is expected that the school counsellor will work closely with administrative and teaching staff to the end that all school resources will be widely use; in doing so , he may share and interpret students data with them, with due regard to confidentiality, assist teachers to secure materials and develop procedure for variety of classroom group guidance experience, helps them to identify students with special needs and problems as well as helping teachers to participate in service training programme.

Local research

A school counsellor will have the continuing in evaluating the guidance programme in the school. Which serve and therefore may design research permitting a judgement regarding his programme? Other research may include the follow-up on ex-students and drop-outs, occupational trends in the locality, effectiveness of testing instrument, selection of courses, accumulation and analysis of students demographic (population) data.

Public relations

Like all educational workers; the secondary school counsellor will need to be continuously involved in interpreting the guidance programme of the school to the community, this he may do through publications, speaker’s engagements and selected use of mass media, community heads, church leaders, PTA and town criers. In his public relation functions, the counsellor interprets the chapter of the school to those responsible for curriculum modification for example the ministry and board of education.

Selection of subjects/careers in the 6-3-3-4 system of education

Selection of subjects/careers in the 6-3-3-4 system of education is a vital incident in the life of the secondary school student; any mistake made in the choice of subjects at this level could lead to frustration, confusion and dropout. Many Nigerian secondary school students are quite ignorant of the relevant subjects selected for the school certificate or the general or the general certificate examination to their future career choice; the crux of the matter is that as Onanuga (1983) puts it, if out of ignorance or inability, he offers unrelated subject at the end of the secondary school, he may end up choosing a career that is not relevant to his environment. The result will be no employment for him or he picks up a job below his qualifications, which may in turn amount to unemployment. In view of 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria, subject for selection at junior and senior secondary school levels have been specified under core subjects, prevocational subject and non-vocational elective. Thus; secondary school subject (National Policy on Education, 1989).

Core subjects                                             Prevocational subjects

Mathematics                                                          Wood work

English Language                                                Metal work

Nigeria Language (2)                                           Electronics

Science                                                                  Mechanics

Social studies                                                        Local crafts

Art and Music                                                     Home economics

Practical agriculture                                              Business studies

Religious and moral instruments

Physical Education

Pre-vocational subjects (2)

In selecting two Nigeria languages, students should study the language of their own area in addition to any to any of the three main Nigeria languages (Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba) subject to availability to teachers. Senior secondary subjects (National Policy on Education 1989) the senior secondary school will be comprehensive but will have a core curriculum in the group of subjects which every pupils must take in addition to his or her specialties.

Core subjects

1. English language.
2. One Nigerian language.
3. Mathematics
4. Physics/Chemistry/Biology.
5. Agricultural Science.
6. Literature in English/History/Geography
7. Electives

Every student will be expected to select three (3) of these subjects depending on the choice of career up to the end of the second year and may drop one of the non-compulsory subjects out of a subjects in the last year of the senior high school course. They are;

• Biology
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Additional maths
• Commerce
• Economics
• Book keeping.
• Type writing.
• Art
• Arabic Studies
• Mental work
• Electronics
• Technical drawing
• Wood work
• Auto-mechanics
• Music
• French
• Health Science
• Government
• Shorthand
• History
• English literature
• Geography
• Agricultural Science
• Home Economics
• Bible Knowledge
• Islamic Studies
• Physical Education etc

The counsellor with the co-operation of teacher and parents should help the children to make wise choice of subjects that would lead them to their anticipation careers based on their interest, abilities, attitude etc. Effective use of test instruments should be made in this direction.

The role of other school personnel in guidance services

This task of providing effective and efficient guidance services in a school requires the co-operation and involvement of their school personnel beside the counsellor; in fact, it is a team task in which each number of the team plays vital role. We want to state quickly that in the school guidance programme, the committed and professionally prepared counsellor is the key person who provides the leadership, acts as consult organizer of services and make community contact. This notwithstanding the guidance programme is not a one affair because guidance presently is a complex service with multidimensional consequences, because of its complexity, the provision of guidance with definitely defies a single person’s intellectual resources and ability. Hence, the counsellor will always count on the good support of other personnel in the school in providing a guidance programme. Such other personnel include the director of guidance, teacher, principal, vice principal, parents, psychologist, psychometric ministries of education/school board, community, school health team etc.

In this chapter, therefore will shall concern ourselves with the roles and responsibilities of these other personnel in guidance in services; in addition, attempts will be made to highlight ways in which the counsellor could work harmoniously with them.

The director of guidance

The post and functions of directors of guidance is only found in a large school system where more than one counsellor is employed; in such a case, he supervises other counsellors, communicates with administrative officers of the school who have responsibilities for financial accounts and control for providing physical facilities and he is responsible for administration and co-ordination of guidance services in a school or a school zone as in Imo and Anambra State of Nigeria.

The director/supervisor of guidance should see himself as an educational leader who posses expert knowledge in guidance with a full grasp of total educational process as well as the theoretical rationale through which guidance is to be made operational within the educational process, he encourages staff members to see why certain practices are used to identify appropriate guidance purposes and the means to attain them.

The role or activities of the director of guidance can be summarised as follows;

• Interpreting guidance to administrators, staff and members of the community.
• Supervising counsellors through individual and small group concerned devoted to concerns about counsellor.
• Co-ordinating work and efforts of guidance personnel.
• Serving as a liaison with community referral agencies and personnel.
• Formulating budgets and planning physical facilities needed for guidance.
• Selecting and placing counsellors.
• Co-ordinating and conducting research and evaluative studies of guidance.
• Devising innovation record systems, methods of imparting information etc.
• Developing and promoting the objectives and philosophy of guidance services.
• Conducting in services training and refresher programmes for counsellors.

References

Arbuckle, D. S. (1966); Pupil Personnel Services in the Modern School, Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.

Arthur, J. J. (1970); Principal of Guidance, New York: McGraw Hill Book Company.

Dustin, R. &George, R. (1873), Action Counselling Behaviour Change, New York: Intert Educational Publishers.

Essien, I.M (1978).The need for Guidance Services in Nigeria Post Secondary Schools: A point of view to the counsellor, Vol. 1.1, No 3.

Ipaye, T. (1983). Guidance and counsellor practices, Ile-Ife: University of Ife Press.

Lewis, E. C. (1970).The Psychology of Counselling: New York: Hott, Rinehart and Winston.

Makinde, O. (1988). Fundamentals of Guidance Counselling, London: Macmillan Publishers.

Miller, F.W. (1968). Guidance Principles and Services Colombia: Charles E. Marril.

Napier, R.W. (1972). School Guidance Services, London: Evans Brother Ltd.

Obadina, Y.I. (1988). “Middle Childhood” Educational Psychology, UNNACE Series, Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books (Nig) Ltd.

Okeutuonye, A. I. (1984). Guidance for Schools: An Introduction, Zaria: Hudahuda Publishers Company.

Oladede, J.O. (1989). Fundamentals of Psychological Foundations of Education, (3^rd ed), Lagos: Jons-lad Publishers Ltd.

Onanuga, A.C. (1983). “Guidance and Counselling needs” Introduction to Counselling, Ile-Ife: University of Ife Press Ltd.

Shertcer, B. & Stone, S.C. (1976), Fundamentals of Guidance, Boston: Honghton Mifflin Company.