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Improving Guidance and Counseling Services for Effective Service Delivery in

Nigerian Secondary Schools

Article  in  JOMSIGN Journal of Multicultural Studies in Guidance and Counseling · September 2019

DOI: 10.17509/jomsign.v3i1.19606

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 Improving
JOMSIGN: Guidance
Journal And Counseling
of Multicultural Services
Studies For Effective
in Guidance Service Delivery In Nigerian
and Counseling
Volume 3, No.1, Maret 2019: Page
Secondary 75-89 Implications For Stakeholders In Education
Schools:
ISSN 2549-7065 (print) || ISSN 2549-7073 (online)
Available online at http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/jomsign

IMPROVING GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR

EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY
SCHOOLS: IMPLICATIONS FOR STAKEHOLDERS IN EDUCATION
Yusuf Suleiman 1, Muraina Kamilu Olanrewaju and Jamiu Mahmood
Suleiman

Abstract: Guidance and counselling is a service that all human beings need at one point of
their life. There is no human being that has never got a problem at one point or another.
Guidance counselling is a noble profession whose importance in the educational system of
Nigeria is becoming increasingly recognized by the country‟s educational planners and policy
makers. Ideally a well-trained school counsellor should be available in each institution in the
federation to deal with various aspects of students‟ problems and this presupposes the
establishment of school guidance and counselling from the primary up to the tertiary levels.
The essentials services expected of guidance counsellor in schools was highlighted and the
means through which guidance programmes could be enhanced for effective service delivery
in Nigerian secondary schools were expatiated. The process involves putting the prevailing
situation in proper perspective by identifying the challenges and counselling is a problems
solver. The role of the counsellor is to coordinate all the school guidance personnel in order to
achieve effective guidance and by extension, the school objectives. The paper however,
recommended that guidance service should be integrated into the primary school curriculum
and be taught as a class subject and that administration of each institution provides critical
leadership and conducive work environment to accommodate the kind of flexible work
schedule and organizing regular workshops, seminars and conferences for stakeholders in
guidance and counselling.

Keywords: Guidance and Counselling, Effectiveness, Secondary School, Nigeria

JOMSIGN: Journal of Multicultural Studies in Guidance and Counseling

Website: http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/JOMSIGN

Permalink: http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/JOMSIGN/article/view/6314
How to cite (APA): Suleiman, Y., Olanrewaju, M., K., & Suleiman, J., M. (2019). Improving Guidance And Counseling
Services For Effective Service Delivery In Nigerian Secondary Schools: Implications For Stakeholders In Education.
JOMSIGN: Journal of Multicultural Studies in Guidance and Counseling, 3(1), 75-89

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

INTRODUCTION
Education at all levels needs the presence of guidance and counselling
services which is needed to attend to the numerous problems that students may
face in either at home or in the school. These problems range from academic,
1
Al-Hikmah University, Nigeria; [email protected]

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 Yusuf Suleiman, Muraina Kamilu Olanrewaju, Jamiu Mahmood Suleiman

social and personal problems which are common amongst students

irrespective of their social, economic, religion, ethnic and cultural background.
According to UNESCO (2010), adolescents are prone to behavioral challenges
which require adequate counselling for them to overcome the challenges. In
Nigeria for instance, there are contemporary problems facing students in
school, particularly, secondary school students. Researches have shown that
there were low counselling services in Nigerian secondary schools and it is
appalling that less than 30% of Nigerian students practically seek for guidance
and counselling services are activities that aid students to achieve emotional
stability and excel in adjustment (Aluede, 2006; Muraina, 2018).
Guidance and counselling is a service that all human beings need at one
point of their life. There is no human being that has never got a problem at one
point or another. Once a problem arises, one seeks solutions, suggestions or
even other people‟s opinions about the problem. In one way or another, one
seeks for guidance and counselling services (Alutu, 2005; Garner, 2000).
Guidance and counselling services are services that have been in existence as
long as human beings have lived, either formally or informally. Guidance and
counselling has been engraved in African traditional society since time
immemorial. According to Busari (2012) and Muraina (2018) guidance and
counselling was entrusted to the immediate and extended family where
individuals confined in and depended upon their relatives for advice when
faced with problems. As such in the African traditional society, people of all
ages could seek for this service from the elderly or respected people in the
society such as fortune-tellers, wizards, astrologers, palmists and future-tellers
were thought to be getting information from the gods and could therefore
guide and counsel others according to what the gods have counselled.
Young people could be counselled by the elderly on the norms of the
society and what was expected of them in the society. All this was informal
counselling. However, in the African traditions, the elders counselled the
younger ones and the wiser counselled those with less experience. Likewise,
the expertise and religious leaders such as Pastor and Imams counselled the
whole society (Akinade, 2012; Oderinde and Muraina, 2014). Man sought
comfort, help and solace from the family and close associates. Children were
brought up in a neatly woven relationship of the extended family in African
Traditional Societies. The society had counsellors who included aunts, uncles,
and grandparents. However, the home as one avenue of instilling sex and
moral education is challenged by modern constraints such as shattered cultural

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 Improving Guidance And Counseling Services For Effective Service Delivery In Nigerian
Secondary Schools: Implications For Stakeholders In Education

basis of child upbringing, rising standards of living, economic constraints, and

inadequate family guidance and counselling, child headed homes, wars, tribal
clashes, cattle rustling, displacement and moral conflict (Busari, 2012; Kolo,
2012).
Guidance counselling is a noble profession whose importance in the
educational system of Nigeria is becoming increasingly recognized by the
country‟s educational planners and policy makers. Ideally a well-trained
school counsellor should be available in each institution in the federation to
deal with various aspects of students‟ problems and this presupposes the
establishment of school guidance and counselling from the primary up to the
tertiary levels (Adeyemo, 2014). The omission of vocational or career
guidance and developmental guidance at the primary school level in Nigeria is
not only incongruous but suggests some dangers, this called for the Needs for
Repositioning Guidance and Counselling in Education.
In line with the above assertion, the paper has highlighted the relevant
aspects of guidance and counselling in our tertiary education (Akinade, 2012).
This is fundamentally regarded as a process of helping individuals to
understand themselves and the world they live in (Aluede, 2006). It is an
elaborate preparation, arrangement and programmes directed towards helping
individual to make wise, intelligent choice and decision. Under guidance
programme, individuals are led to understanding their abilities, potentials,
weaknesses attitudes interests and capabilities. The long and short terms or
goals are self-fulfillment and self-adjustment in society.
The need for appropriate implementation of counselling services at all
levels of education is very essential; this is well attested to from the academic
performance of students suggesting counselor‟s incompetency in the discharge
of their duty. The resultant effect is not farfetched, secondary school students
due to ignorance, wrong information, influence of peers, mass and social
media and lack of guidance, adolescents have fallen into the danger of drug
use and abuse, violence, robbery, unguided sexual activities, and school
dropout (Oderinde and Muraina, 2014; Hassan, 2009). In Nigeria, reports from
the primary, secondary and tertiary educational level point out that the learners
are indulging in pleasure and luxury. People have bad manners, contempt for
authority, and disrespect for older people (Alutu, 2005; Kolo, 2012). It is not
common to hear parents, teachers and church leaders blaming each other, for
failing to teach the young people to be well behaved. Many parents have

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 Yusuf Suleiman, Muraina Kamilu Olanrewaju, Jamiu Mahmood Suleiman

abandoned the teaching of their children which people have entrusted to the
counsellor (Adeyemo, 2014; Odediran, 2014). Although the Ministry of
Education has ensured that each public school has a teacher-counsellor
appointed by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) yet indiscipline cases
persist and Nigeria is not exceptional. This then necessitates research in these
perspectives. This study therefore concentrates towards improving guidance
and counseling services for effective service delivery in Nigerian secondary
schools and its implications for educational stakeholders.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Brief History of Guidance and Counselling in Nigeria
While the date of the formal start of modern guidance in USA is taken as 1908
via the vocational guidance work of Frank Parsons (Father of American
Guidance Movement), 1958 can be regarded as the date of the commencement
of modern guidance in Nigeria (Kolo, 2012). That year, the Catholic Reverend
Sisters in St. Theresa‟s College, Ibadan, recognized the need to give adequate
career or vocational guidance to their final year students. Therefore, in 1958,
the reverend sisters, assisted by Mrs. Oruwariye, invited interested and
enlightened members of the society to the school. Specialists in different areas
of endeavour who had made their marks were invited to give career talks on
their professions to their final year students. This effort gave insight to the
students about world of work and hence assisted many of the students to select
good jobs or higher institutions of learning. The result was quite encouraging
and it geared some other schools in Ibadan and other big towns around to start
organizing career talks for their senior students. This singular move led to
emerging of career masters and mistresses while interested teachers in the
school system were assigned job of collation and disseminating of career
information to students (Popoola, 2015). In 1962, Ibadan Careers Council was
formed.
It was composed of distinguished knowledgeable and philanthropic
individuals. Their aim was to propagate vocational guidance to students or the
young ones where workshops, seminars and symposia were organized. In
1967, Nigeria Careers Council grew out of the Ibadan Career Council. The
members of the Ibadan Careers Council formed the nucleus and support of the
Nigeria Careers Council. People continued along the line of vocational
guidance (Ojo, 2015). The Council incorporated career masters and mistresses.

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 Improving Guidance And Counseling Services For Effective Service Delivery In Nigerian
Secondary Schools: Implications For Stakeholders In Education

A journal named “Careers” was published by this body to disseminate current

information about job. In a move that showed recognition of the guidance and
counselling services, Dr. C. I. Berepiki, a Fellow of the Counselling
Association of Nigeria, was appointed the first Vocational Guidance Officer
by the Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos in 1961. He wrote an Approach
to Guidance in Schools.
For a very long time after him, there were no other trained officers to
work actively in this unit but with the current state of the profession, the unit is
well manned by trained male and female counsellors. It now has two sections
– Careers and Counselling Sections which organizes workshops and
conferences and coordinate counselling activities in the country (Adeyemo,
2015). Many States Ministries of Education have similar set-ups. Another
opportunity to introduce guidance and counselling in several secondary
schools emerged in 1967, Mr. Rees, an American, organized a workshop at
Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro, Ogun State. The motive was to plant
the seed of guidance and counselling in that area and he did it successfully.
The Association, in 1992, started the same acronym with the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Computer Association of Nigeria
(CAAN).
In order to avoid confusion, at the Kano Conference in 1992, the
Association dropped CAN and took up CASSON i.e. (Counselling
Association of Nigeria). The Association has also encouraged the formation of
State Branches. This is to encourage „grassroots‟ spread of the Association.
Some state branches are quite active with various activities, workshops,
seminars and handle some counselling cases. This aspect is done on individual
basis or, in some cases; „team approach‟ is used. Some state branches have
journals e.g. Imo State has Counselling Spectrum (Popoola, 2015; Hassan,
2009). December 1, 2006 marked the birth of Counselling Association of
Nigeria at the University of Ibadan. The first president of the Association was
Prof. Olu Makinde (1976–1980) he was succeeded by Prof. S. A. Gesinde
(1980–1984), Prof. Para Mallum (1984–1988), Dr. (Mrs.) Achebe C. C.
(1989–1990); and Prof. C. G. M. Bakare (1990–1994); Dr. Nsa A. Nsa (1994–
1996) and 1996–2002 Prof. Carew, Prof. A. I. Idowu, (2002–2004) and Prof.
Okobia (2004).
The Association is a body of trained guidance counsellors mainly, but it
encourages interested individuals in the helping professions to join it (Okon,

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 Yusuf Suleiman, Muraina Kamilu Olanrewaju, Jamiu Mahmood Suleiman

2009). The Association produces, through its senior members in the

Universities and some Colleges of Education and other counsellors for both
the private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy. The journal of the
Association is called “The Counsellor”. Through it, research findings of
members, which are discussed at the annual conferences, are disseminated.
Conference proceedings are also published. In 1975, the first Department of
guidance and counselling in Nigeria was established in the University of
Ibadan. The second full-fledged department was established at the University
of Ilorin in 1981. Ever since then, several universities and some colleges of
education have been producing well-trained counsellors. As at now, several
counsellors have had postgraduate training with Master and Ph.D degrees.
There are some professors already in the discipline.
The Federal Government has inserted the need for guidance and
counselling in our schools in its National Policy on Education (2013). This has
helped to make all the State Governments to establish guidance and
counselling units in their Ministries of Education. In addition to counselling
units in the Universities, there are some private clinics in the big cities such as
Lagos, Ibadan and Owerri. Suffice to say that although guidance and
counselling is a relatively new comer to the Nigerian educational scene, it is
gradually making its impact (Ojo, 2015; Okon, 2009). It is still evolving.
Guidance counsellors are playing their part in the implementation of the
ongoing 6-3-3-4 educational systems.
Essential Guidance Services in School
Guidance and counselling in secondary education should focus on suggested
counselling procedure by Busari (2012) as enumerated bellow:
Appraisal Service: Involves the use of psychometric instruments to
gather data on individuals to enable both the counsellor and the individuals
concerned to understand themselves. Using the appropriate appraisal
procedure using the test or non-test techniques, the individual can be opened-
up to him. He is thus in a better position to understand his strengths and
weaknesses, and consequently can make more realistic and effective choices
Placement Service: Refers to assistance given to an individual to make
adjustment to the next stage of life development (Olayinka, 2012). In
secondary school, student‟s placement may means secondary adjustment in
further education or adjustment in a job after secondary education. Placement
therefore refers to the next steps, either in educational pursuit or in pursuit or

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 Improving Guidance And Counseling Services For Effective Service Delivery In Nigerian
Secondary Schools: Implications For Stakeholders In Education

in vocational pursuit. Individuals need to be placed in educational or

vocational field that relate to their interests, abilities and personalities.
Referral Service: This is the act of transferring an individual to another
person or agency providing different kind of assistance. Referral is made for
the purpose of specialized assistance. Many referrals occur simply because the
problem is beyond the scope of the services provided.
Orientation Service: This is provided to help students adjust better in
any new environment. Many new students feel lost socially and
psychologically because they no longer enjoy the psychological support of
parents, friend and former teachers. Orientation service helps students to
adjust during his critical transition period. The students are introduced to the
physical plants, administrative setup, rules and regulations governing student
conduct use of school facilities, teaching staff, and how the school guidance
programme can serve their needs.
Evaluation Service: The entire guidance programme in the school is
evaluated in order to see how far the stated objectives and goals have been
realized and whether the programme meets the developmental needs of the
students. Unlike the other guidance services, evaluation is not a direct service
to the student but to the entire guidance programme.
Counselling Service: Is a personalize dialogue or interview between the
counsellor and counselee or client during which the client seeks expert
assistance from the counsellor regarding the resolution of his problem. The
Counselling service is personalized in the sense that usually, the client has a
personal problem which requires privacy and confidentiality for discussion
with a help expert. Such concerns may include emotional problems, family
problems, sexual difficulties, marriage issues and other psychological
problems (Hammed and Muraina, 2016). The Counselling service is the heart
of guidance service and the most important central service of guidance.
Information Service: This aims at providing students with better
knowledge of educational decisions. Such decision might include whether to
go for further education or not, what institution to attend, what courses to
offer, what elective to take, which social association to belong etc. The
sources of information service include the local community, the national
sources as well as source from outside the country.
Follow-up Service: This service is designed to assess the extent to
which the guidance programme is meeting the needs for which it was

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established. This service is concerned essentially with successes, failures,

problems and feedbacks from those who have benefited from the programme.
The ultimate goal of follow-up and evaluation is to improve the programme or
make those adjustments that have been indicated by the beneficiaries of the
programme as necessary. Individuals need to understand what is required in
the situation they are placed. In order to determine the effectiveness of
planning and placement, there is need to find out how the individuals are
developing in their own place of work, and school, how they are adjusting into
their new environment. Follow-up service helps the staff to better understand
and improve their curriculum and methods.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Problems Confronting Guidance and Counselling Programmes in
Nigerian Schools
Although, the rationale for the introduction of Guidance and
Counselling is inserted in the National Policy on Education (2013), the
problems confronting the development of guidance and counselling
programme could be grouped as those caused by men, materials and money.
Its reception is received with suspicion and a „wait and see‟ attitude. This is
due to the following according to Idowu (2008) and Ipaye (2005):
Paucity of trained counsellors: APGA recommended that there should
be a ratio of 1 to 250 (counsellors-students/clients). Tucker, Hamayan, and
Genesse (2006) and Umoh (2008) say the ratio, as at 1980 was 1:800. The
situation could be worse. This is because the limited members of trained
counsellors are moving out of school settings into non-school settings. A
typical school with a population of 1,000 students is expected to have four
counsellors; now such a school either has none or at best only one. This poor
counsellor-student ratio does not encourage the growth of guidance
counselling in such schools. However, special schools such as the Federal
Government Colleges, „Military‟ Secondary Schools, University based
Secondary Schools as well as standard/elitist private schools have adequate
number of guidance counsellors. The percentage of such schools compared
with the total population of secondary schools in Nigeria is very small. It is
suggested that more guidance counsellors should be trained and encouraged.
Inadequate funding: Guidance and Counselling is not well funded.
Today, the education enterprise has become a costly venture. Enough funds

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 Improving Guidance And Counseling Services For Effective Service Delivery In Nigerian
Secondary Schools: Implications For Stakeholders In Education

are not allocated to each school to run its various services. Where fund is
available, very little is earmarked for counselling purposes. It seems the
various levels of government (Federal, State and Local) do not want to stretch
their budgets with extra demands from an emerging unit such as guidance and
counselling (Idowu, 2008; Ipaye, 2005). Yet, it is known that effective
counselling demands adequate funding to purchase items such as
psychological tests, journals and various publications, play gadgets,
cardboards and various felt pens as well as money to organize activities such
as Excursions, Career Clubs and Career Day/Week and furnishing a
counsellor‟s office.
Lack of Counselling Office/Room: Because of several factors such as
explosion of students‟ population and inadequate number of classrooms,
problem of space or office accommodation is common in the typical
secondary school. This is particularly so in the urban centers (where
counsellors may be found). This results into a situation in which there is
hardly any spare room that can be released for counselling as „counsellor‟s
office‟. Guidance may be given anywhere but counselling needs privacy if it is
to be effective (Adeyemo, 2014). One may see a counsellor interacting with a
client in one corner of the staff room, under a tree or a place seemingly away
from people but such areas are never distraction free. The best that occurs in
schools without a counselling office is guidance or educational/vocational
counselling, not socio-personal counselling.
Relative newness of Guidance and Counselling in Nigeria: While
western education was introduced into the country about 1842, Guidance and
Counselling was formally introduced in 1958. That is after more than a
century. Educational instruction and administration had been entrenched in the
educational system long before it. Some educational practitioners tend to view
it as an intruder.
Blurred Role of the Guidance Counsellor: Several people in the
society do not know the specific roles of the counsellor. Even in the school
settings, where awareness is expected to be high, school personnel such as
teacher and principals do not understand or people misconstrue the functions
of the counsellors. For instance, Makinde (2013) wrote that head teachers see
them as rivals-instead of helpers.
Resistance by colleagues and principals: It has been observed by
many guidance counsellors that people often experience resistance from

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 Yusuf Suleiman, Muraina Kamilu Olanrewaju, Jamiu Mahmood Suleiman

institutional heads, influential and significant members of staff of their

establishments. Such officers often act in ways, which prevent the spread of
counselling. Odediran (2014) reported that counsellors face resistance, which
might be stiff and persistent from principals and colleagues. Most times,
counsellors tend to be viewed with suspicion by them. Some institutional
heads might be apprehensive that the „new comer‟ counsellor does not erode
their prestige or popularity and power among students, parents and members
of the public (Olayinka, 2012). Resistance of institutional heads may be
reflected in their lukewarm, poor or reluctant attitude in supporting the
programme or refusal to formally introduce the counsellor to other members
of school staff.
Role/integrity of Counsellors: Some school personnel still see the
counsellors as having a „hidden agenda‟ or something to hide when a client
goes into the counselling room (where this is available). Some give
counsellors negative or derogatory labels (Kolo, 2012). This is more so where
the other workers doubt the moral integrity of counsellors who give individual
counselling to young ones. This feeling becomes more serious when a male
counsellor treats female students and gives the interaction high confidentiality,
yet, counselling demand reasonable privacy.
Confidentiality: The issue of confidentiality is pertinent in counselling.
Clients expect their secrets or privileged information to be kept secret or
confidential and not exposed to others. However, referral agents such as
teachers, peers, parents, and principals expect counsellors to divulge such
information to them. Failure of the counsellor to reveal the „secret‟ may raise
the degree of suspicion of his activities. Revealing the secrets lead to loss of
faith in counselling and counsellors on one part, will lose clients and friends of
such clients and counselling will be the big loser on the long run. Yet, all these
are happening.
Lack of commitment: Although, the Federal Government entrenched
the guidance and counselling programme in the NPE (2013), there is still
much to do when it comes to practical support and its implementation. More
committed action will help the growth of the profession. For instance, there
should be adequate planning that would map out both short and long term
goals as well as strategies of evaluating the progress being made.

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 Improving Guidance And Counseling Services For Effective Service Delivery In Nigerian
Secondary Schools: Implications For Stakeholders In Education

Repositioning Guidance and Counselling Services for Effective Service

Delivery in Nigerian Secondary Schools
The process involves putting the prevailing situation in proper perspective by
identifying the challenges and counselling is a problems solver. The role of the
counsellor is to coordinate all the school guidance personnel in order to
achieve effective guidance and by extension, the school objectives.
Coordination in school guidance may be defined as the harmonious
combination of the functions of all other adults or school personnel involved
with the school child for the purpose of helping him/her to become a more
productive member of society. Eyo, Crocker, Luhtanen, Baine and Broadnax
(2010) maintained that school counselor's direct service alone cannot make for
counselor-effectiveness. The counselor needs to depend on other professionals
both within the school and the community to assist in the provision of certain
specialized services for students.
It was for this reason that Miller and Labovitz (2003) suggested
formation of guidance committees and Olayinka (2012), Tucker, Hamayan,
and Genesse (2006) and Umoh (2008) also proposed models of offering
guidance and counselling services in Nigerian schools. Also the counselor
conducts needs assessment survey in conjunction with formulating the
guidance policy and objectives for each year. These objectives are evaluated
through questionnaires, interviews; checklist etc. from staff and students, and
the result is used in formulating fresh guidance objectives. The counselor
therefore initiates the programmes and motivates and trains other professionals
in the school for an effective guidance and counselling service delivery. If the
techniques of control suggested and summarized by Hassan (2009) are applied
therefore, the challenges confronting our secondary education will be
minimized:
1. Leadership Style: The style of school leadership and the resultant social
climate affect the behaviours of student in school. Students and teachers
alike respect positive leadership and when they get it; there is seldom a
problem of discipline. School principals and head masters cannot expect
discipline in their school unless they are able to discipline themselves.
Firmness together with honesty and a sympathetic attitude towards
students‟ problem will secure more readily than attempting to please
everybody.
2. Team Work: Teamwork means gaining the cooperation of the teachers. If

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 Yusuf Suleiman, Muraina Kamilu Olanrewaju, Jamiu Mahmood Suleiman

there is sharing of responsibilities in the school, the leaders cannot enforce

discipline alone.
3. Morale of Teachers: Teachers‟ morale is likely to fall in the absence of
adequate materials inducement. Students tend to identify themselves with
particular teacher(s) and are resentful if the teachers, in their view are
being maltreated.
4. Good Teaching: Generally, students misbehave in school due to
incompetent of teacher who are unable to give them an efficient service.
Students want to be sure of good results at the end and are unhappy if the
results of their school do not compare favourably with those of
neighboring schools.
5. Social Climate: Students respond negatively to an unpleasant and
undemocratic atmosphere. They will do everything to avoid the fear and
anxiety caused by such an atmosphere. It is reported that ritualized school
activities such as promotion, repetition, policies are the major sources of
fear and anxiety. Social and recreational activities engage the energy of the
students and contribute to the pleasantness of the school climate. They
provide outlets for the release of tension with a resultant improvement of
mental health of students.
6. Boarding facilities: Dilapidated buildings and poor accommodations as
well as meals and poor service breed bad behaviours.
7. Guidance and Counselling: Bad behaviours is reduced if teachers adopt
the policy of using every school situation to assist students to solve their
problems. Rules must be clear and not too numerous, and students should
be told what the desire standard of behaviours is, but on self-discipline and
willingness to cooperate with and respect others. However, the principal
must realize that the blame will be his when some things went wrong in his
school. Likewise, he will have the credit if his school achieves satisfactory
results (Eyo, et al., 2010). Consequently, he/she must be vigilant and alert
in dealing with the problems relating to his staff and students. Some of the
problems with regard to the students relate to the admission, classification,
and grouping of the students for instruction, boarding, recording, and
reporting of the students‟ progress to parent, and the maintenance of order.

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 Improving Guidance And Counseling Services For Effective Service Delivery In Nigerian
Secondary Schools: Implications For Stakeholders In Education

CONCLUSIONS
It is very essential to note that guidance and counselling programme cannot be
haphazardly introduced. For the programme to enjoy credibility, popularity
patronage and continuity within the school system, they must not be super
imposed, they should be developed in a gradual sequential manner. The
services should suit local condition/ local language and rhyme with the
philosophical frame work of the school. It also crystal clear that challenges of
providing guidance services are enormous and require urgent attention with
the school population vis-à-vis the number of available qualified guidance
counselors must be considered in initiating and developing guidance
programmes. Consequently, it is recommended that:
1. Efforts should be made by government to train more qualified counsellors
at degree and diploma levels in all our conventional universities in Nigeria.
2. Guidance service should be integrated into the primary school curriculum
and be taught as a class subject. This kind of teaching will enrich their
value system and open their minds to the basic facts of live.
3. It will also be very important that administration of each institution
provides critical leadership and conducive work environment to
accommodate the kind of flexible work schedule and organizing regular
workshops, seminars and conferences for stakeholders in guidance and
counselling.
4. Government to accord guidance and counselling its rightful place in the
U.B.E programme and specify counsellors‟ functions in clear terms.
5. Principals and other management officers in the school should make
budgetary allocation for the smooth running of guidance programmes in
schools.

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