I agree that it looks too long, but we just had to include everything of importance!
It gives us a picture of the counseling services in place in Nigeria, at least up until 2012. I wasn't able to find any articles later than that.
It gives us a picture of the counseling services in place in Nigeria, at least up until 2012. I wasn't able to find any articles later than that.
The beginning of guidance and counseling services
In 1959, a group of Catholic Reverend Sisters at St.
Theresa’s college, Oke-Ado in Ibadan, the intellectual heart of Nigeria,
organized a formal careers guidance program for final year students. The aim
was to teach the students about the world of work and equip them with soft
skills. In order to accomplish this, professionals from various career paths
were invited. This event was later
called The Careers Day Conference and clearly produced positive results in the
students as all students who had participated in the program were able to get
employment soon after graduation. The program was further enhanced in the
coming years to include seminars, lectures and guidance workshops and
eventually led to the formation of the Ibadan Career Council in 1962 which was
later renamed as Nigerian Careers Council in 1967 and gained the participation
of other states within the country.
The civil war of 1967 put a hold to the activities of the
Council. It was only nine years later, that the Career Council was launched as
the Counseling Association of Nigeria (CASSON). CASSON was a recognized
organization of guidance counselors who engaged in much professional
development in their field. Over the years, several changes and developments
took place to advance the counseling profession in Nigeria.
- Guidance and counseling was included in the National Policy of Education
- The minimum standards for counselor training were established in conjunction with the National Universities Commission (UNC), the Federal Ministry of Education (FME). In order to become a counselor, a minimum number of courses had to be completed through a recognized counselor training program in universities.
- CASSON also developed the Blueprint on guidance and counseling for educational institutions in Nigeria. It gives guidance on how to meet the need of students from pre-primary through to secondary and tertiary institutions.
- Guidance counselors eventually gained recognition in schools as full time professionals through the policy passed by the National Council on Education. Guidance counselors were expected to help people with career prospects and issues as well as personality maladjustment according to the National Policy of Education statement in 1977.
Finding acceptance
Despite the firm establishment of the guidance and
counseling profession, effective implementation and practice was something to
be concerned about. Counselor roles are not clearly defined in some
institutions. It was often presented as an extra service which students could
make use of if they wished and the negative attitudes held by the school
administration and teachers towards the service kept students at bay. Many
questioned the credibility and usefulness of the service and felt that a
specialist was not required for guidance and counseling as it was already taken
care of by family elders, parents, elder siblings, religious figures and
teachers. The administration usually felt that teachers who opt to take on the
role of a guidance counselor were neglecting or passing up their duties of
teaching for something relatively easier. As a result, counselors had other
duties like teaching and clerk duties forced upon them. The budget available
for guidance and counseling programs were also inadequate at the time the
article was written (2004). A look at a more recent article from 2012 (Oye, Obi,
Mohd, & Bernice, 2012) shows that the attitudes
towards school counselors has not changed much. In fact, parents prefer to go
to the school principal with their children’s academic and social problems. Additionally,
the school time table doesn’t make an allowance for counseling services so
students would find it difficult to go to the counseling unit even if they
wanted to. The services are also not promoted throughout the school, so very few
students and parents know what it is all about.
Gaining credibility and recognition was the major challenge.
In addition, efficiently translating theory into practice due to lack of
resources and support was also a hurdle for counselors.
Counselor roles defined
In order to establish the counselor’s role in school, CASSON
made a list of duties that a school counselor must take on:
·
Orientation of new
students – welcoming new students, guiding them on rules, regulations,
programs, clubs and helping them settle in the school. Counselors are expected
to serve as a ‘parent’ to those whose parents or guardians live far away
·
Educational counseling
– help students with problems related to studying, monitor and keeps a record
of their progress, administers tests on academic matters in order to decide
what intervention they need, consult with teachers and parents on behalf of
students’ academic performance, counsel disruptive students and groups, teach
students’ necessary study skills, identify special needs students, those with
learning disabilities and gifted students and put them into appropriate
classes.
· Vocational counseling – provide students with
occupational information, administer and interpret career tests, guide parents
and students on vocational choices, prepare career programs, talks and
workshops that aid in career development as well as social skills training etc.
· Personal and social counseling – help students facing
personal or social problems. Administer and interpret relevant tests and
provide programs aimed at developing skills to cope with their issues.
· Referral services – refer students to appropriate professionals
(doctors, psychiatrists etc.), consults with other professionals on referral cases.
· Follow up services
· Liaison and follow up services
During the time the article was written, counselors were not
seen as different from teachers so had to share offices with teaching staff. In their
article, the authors requested that this be changed and counselors given separate
offices to conduct their services. They also requested that counselors be given
facilities such as filing cabinets, shelves, computers, software, and office
telephone and so on in order to enhance the services they provide.
The authors
conclude by reiterating the importance of providing funds for the counseling services
in schools so that maximum effort can be undertaken towards students’ academic
and personal development.
Citing the Sources!
Everything above has been summarized (not plagiarized I hope!) from the following journal article:
Esere, M. O. (2004). Globalization and the challenges of Human Resource Development in Nigeria: The Counsellor's Factor. Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counseling.
We also got some information from the article below:
Oye, N., Obi, M., Mohd, T., & Bernice, A. (2012). Guidance and Counseling in Nigerian Secondary Schools: The Role of ICT. I.J.Modern Education and Computer Science, 26-33.
