ABSTRACT

This research assessed guidance and counseling service in Abubakar Gumi College, Sabo Kaduna. Efforts were made to assess the conditions the quality of the available counselors and awareness created in the students. The results showed that the Guidance Counselor, through qualified, is not efficient and adequate. The guidance programme is poor organized with no facilities such as guidance counseling offices, large enough for group counseling libraries, computers, and shelves etc. students also do not show any interest in the programme since their interests were not aroused. All of these shortcomings have contributed to student’s poor academic performance in both internal and external examination.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

It has been very glaring that Guidance and Counseling has been lacking in our educational system, until recently, this discipline has been grossly omitted in the system. Due to the absence of career guidance, many students have not got the proper skill to function effectively in the world of work. A good number of students have not been able to examine their potentialities and attempt to find career that will bring them job satisfaction; this may be attributed to either not Listening to a guidance counsel or not receiving counsel at all. It is therefore imperative to expose out students to various methods or ways of choosing the right career, this cannot be over emphasized. It has been discovered that most schools do not have a functional guidance and counseling rather what exist is a miniature office occupied by teaching staff who offers skeletal guidance occasionally to students a wall as still teach his/her complete weekly periods, hence not having time for the guidance and counseling services.

In view of this schools are encouraged to have a solid and functional guidance and counseling programme being headed bya qualified counselor to meet the individual needs of the students.

Abubakar Gumi College, Kaduna is situated in the South of Kaduna in Chikun Local Government within Sabo Locality.

The school is fairly a large one with a population of approximately two thousand, eight hundred students hence, it obviously needs the services of more than one qualified guidance counselor, to meet the guidance needs of the students. As a staff of the school. I do agree that there exist a guidance counselor but of course this study will determine if it is continuously functional, how qualified and adequate the personnel is.

Purpose of the Study

The research is designed to examine and avert the various problems associated with students studying courses that find no relevance to our society, hence the need to enquire whether the students had no form of guidance while in secondary school. Specifically, this study.

1)   Investigate current Guidance and counseling programmes practiced in our secondary schools with specific reference to Christ Ambassadors’ College.

2)   Ascertain the extent to which the available guidance counselors engages in the programme as well as the extent to which students actually makes use of the available guidance counsel.

3)   Identify strategies for improvement and promote effective guidance counseling programme in our secondary schools.

4)   Identify strategies for improvement and promotion of effective guidance counseling programme in our secondary school.

Significance of the Study

The national Policy on Education advocated for the implementation of guidance and counseling programmes in schools’ curricula. However, since this implementation one will expect the level of discipline in our schools to rise, rather there seem to be a current upsurge in the acts of indiscipline, riots and poor academic results. It had become increasingly difficult to control large schools which Abubakar Gumi College, Kaduna is one of such.

This study, therefore, intends to look into the functionability of guidance services, the challenges involved and how it can be improved. It is expected that in secondary schools, guidance assistance offered should be very effective to enable students, attain academic success, remove personal or emotional problems and also teach them how to deal and handle complicated inter – personal relationship with others around.

The study is expected to enhance better communication between the students and the counselors as well as the authorities of schools, since communication is an important ingredient for effective and successful counseling. The research work will be useful to the government in improving guidance in our secondary schools. In addition, further researchers in this related field of study will find this research useful.

Research Questions

1.           How much does the students known about the guidance and counseling.

2.           How adequate and qualified are the personnel in change of guidance and counseling in Christ Ambassadors’ College?

3.           Are there adequate facilities for guidance services?

4.           Is the school providing the necessary environment and encouragement needed for the services?

5.           What is the relationship between the counselor and the students well as other member of staff?

6.           Does a functional guidance service exist in the school?

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This scope examined the challenges, constraints, support and encouragement given to guidance in secondary schools.

However, due to the time constraint and duration permitted for the study, the research was restricted to Abubakar Gumi College, Kaduna only.

It examined the effectiveness of the counselor as well as the knowledge of student about the service and the relationship between the counselor, the students and the management of the school.