Issues and Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools

Setting: A Dilemma to Education

CONCHI-MIRIAM BROWN, (Ph.D.)

Department of Educational Foundations,

College of Education,

Afaha Nsit, Akwa Ibom State.

Abstract

The study was designed to determine the issues and challenges facing

counsellors in Nigerian schools setting and was carried out in six

selected states in Nigeria. The sample 300 respondents made up of 150

male and female practicing counsellors selected through random

sampling and six states through purposive sampling techniques. Three

research questions were asked and five null-hypotheses were raised

and tested, four were not rejected and one rejected. The instrument for

data collection was a questionnaire constructed by the researcher with

a reliability estimate of 0.76 (Cronbach Alpha). t-test and ANOVA

were used for the analysis. The findings showed that, inappropriate

recognition of counselling as a discipline, un-specified counsellors’

roles and functions were issues facing the profession and counsellors

in Nigeria. Lack of funds, rivalry by school heads and other personnel,

clients’ preferred matured counsellors, among others were challenges

encountered. The study, revealed no significant differences in the

issues and challenges experienced by counsellors on the basis of

locations and gender, but, there is significant difference in the

challenges facing counsellors based on age. The study recommended

that campaign by CASSON and the government through media,

seminars and workshops on counsellors’ roles in schools and the

society should be intensified.

A prime and universally acknowledged need in Nigeria today is skilled

manpower, and the crucial question is how it can best be achieved. The great upsurge in

education at all levels at the current time is commonly regarded as the prime force

destined to make good skilled manpower shortages for effective economic

development.

For decades, the Nigerian educational system has experienced some bias

towards over reliance on educational programmes that are academically-oriented rather

than vocationally-oriented. Academically-oriented curricular provide the base for the

development of skilled manpower. Furthermore, participation in the regular academic

programmes increases aspiration of the youths towards more administrative and

congenial occupations which emphasize paper qualification rather than the cultivation

of useful skills which is the objective of vocational education (Denga, 2001).

The Nigerian secondary school educational system expects that students are to

be properly guided on their educational activities, vocational choices, emotional and

socio-personal problems. Therefore, to overcome life inadequateness, guidance and

counselling provides appropriate assistance to students to better understand and accept

themselves their personalities, endowment, their attitudes and worth as unique

individuals. The students are also helped through guidance and counselling to acquire

better decision-making skills, identify their unique needs, the needs of other people and

the society in general. The present situations in Nigeria society and educational system

are the fundamental reasons for the introduction of guidance and counselling services.

The National Policy on Education (2004) stresses the pressing need for

guidance counsellors in Nigerian educational system, to cater for the sensitive disturbed

academic and societal problems. Instead, the counsellors are assigned to do jobs outside

their profession.

Professional counsellors in schools are confronted with series of issues and

challenges. The issues range from lack of appraisal tools for counselling; poor physical

facilities for counselling; inadequate communication by counsellors with teachers,

administrators, students and parents; high ratio of students to counsellors, and

counsellors’ lack of power to influence change in the school; lack of sufficient funding

for guidance activities; lack of time allotment for counselling; free choice versus

national manpower need and what exact roles counsellors should play in schools as

counsellors and reasons for their existence in the school settings; the challenges of sex

inequality and occupational counselling in Nigeria; counselling and tradition, and more

recently poor Information Communication Technology (ICT) compliance of

counsellors. According to Denga (2001), the public have a lazy, confused and blurred

perception of counsellor’s roles and functions. According to Abraham and Brown

(2011), when counsellors are posted to schools, principals assign duties to them

according to their schools need. Most of the times, the counsellors posted to some

schools may be asked to play the role of vice principals, to teach as full time teachers,

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to act as guidance counsellors, to perform the role of career master and mistress, to act

as school clerk or cashier among others.

The students that the counsellors are supposed to guide and assist in their

educational, vocational and personal social development are not aware of counsellor’s

existence and even when they realize that, they are not sure of the exact role the

counsellor plays. Possibly, Nigeria is aware of the importance of guidance and

counselling, hence its entrenchment in the new National Policy on Education (2004).

However, such awareness is still limited to the school setting. Joseph (2012) noted that

even in the school setting, effective guidance programme has not emerged in a large

scale. This possibly may be due to some challenges facing guidance and counselling

which is a dilemma to the educational sector, which are still not solved.

Statement of the Problem

For successful organization of any guidance and counselling programme,

attempt should be made to clarify the role of the counsellor. This lack of clarification of

role has led to some unpleasant experiences especially by young and training

counsellors sent to schools (Torbab, 2009).

Some principals of schools are not too clear of the role of guidance counsellors

and some vice principals even viewed counsellors as rivals (Ekpenyong, 2011). These

young counsellors are regarded with suspicion even by other teachers, as such, they are

offered very little or no cooperation. Elvis (2011) found out that some counsellors, due

to addition to teaching loads to their counselling activities decide to forsake

counselling.

Also, the kind of organization or school structure according to Mkpouto (2012)

determines very much the kind of reception the introduction of counselling services

will receive. The structure of most school systems is such that, authority is vested on

the principal of which, nobody could question. Again, issues such as finance, schedule

of time, location of counsellor’s office and keeping of records cannot be overlooked.

Funds for the innovative efforts of counsellors had not usually been forthcoming since

school heads find it difficult to release funds for counselling activities in school.

According to Udom (2010), no meaningful services are cheap. Funds are

needed for the purchase of counselling materials like psychological test, collection and

keeping of information. The location of the counsellor’s office affects the attitude of

students towards counselling. Mkpouto (2012) revealed an account of a school where

the counsellor was given a room directly opposite the staffroom and students seen

going in where questioned by members of staff. The students felt disturbed. Many

schools do not provide a befitting room for guidance and counselling services. Some of

Issues and Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools Setting: A Dilemma to

Education- Conchi-Miriam Brown, (Ph.D.)

the counsellor’s rooms are in the administrative blocks while others are close to the

principal’s office. The counsellors office should be located in a separate block distance

away from the administrative and principal’s office preferably by the entrance of the

school. This will give room for confidentiality.

Record keeping is very important in counselling especially for reference

purposes. However, because of inadequate arrangement of rooms, the counsellor often

becomes the clerical staff and even the cashier. Keeping of records is a forgotten issue

in some schools, because it is not easy for the counsellor to combine counselling

services with the clerical duties.

Confidentiality of given information is very paramount in counselling

programmes. Students need to be assured that, their secrets will not be unveiled.

However, some principals and teachers expect the counsellors to divulge this

information when they are required; this is absolutely against the ethics of the

profession. In this case, the counsellor finds himself between two opposing forces. If he

insists on keeping such information secret, his relationship with other members of staff

and the principal will be shaky. If he divulges the secrets, he looses the respect and

confidence the students have for him. The students’ confidence in the counselling

programme goes along way to enhance, the effectiveness of the school counsellor.

Another challenge is in terms of the counsellor’s age. The public, according to

Olayinka (2008) and Mkpouto (2012) have created problems concerning age. Some

people have come to the conclusion that, older counsellors are better than the young

ones because of their experiences and their commitment to duties. This attitude shown

by some principals and teachers has also influenced the students to behave awkwardly

toward the counsellors. Most students would rather seek counselling assistance from

older counsellors than the younger ones (Joseph, 2012). It is very disheartening to

notice that, some counsellors are the architects of their own problems in the school

system. If the school personnel liaise with the counsellors duties in schools, it is

necessary on the part of the councellors to work harder and pull their weight to negate

the ill feelings and suspicion about them instead of standing aloof and being lazy. For

the smooth functioning of guidance and counselling services, the importance of

psychological tests cannot be overemphasized for the counsellors usage. The limitation

however, is that most of these tests are foreign, some counsellors find it difficult to

interpret and also, if applied on people in this environment, it may lead to cultural bias.

There is need for more indigenous psychological tests. These and many other issues

and challenges call for this present research.

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Significance of the Study

This study is significant because it will help to unveil some issues and

challenges facing counsellors in the schools and societies, thereby assisting CASSON,

the government and other educational stakeholders in finding lasting solutions. The

solutions will also help to improve the status of the counselling profession.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to investigate some of the issues and

challenges encountered by counsellors in secondary schools in Nigeria.

Scope of the Study

The study was limited to six selected states in Nigeria where enough practicing

counsellors were found to give room for generalization.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study.

1. What are the issues facing practicing counsellors in the schools identified in

the six selected states in Nigeria?

2. What are some of the challenges distorting effective counsellors activities in

schools in Nigeria?

3. Do the challenges facing older counsellors differ from those faces by the

younger ones?

Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were postulated to guide the study:

1. There is no significant difference in the issues facing counsellors in Nigerian

schools setting based on location.

2. There is no significant difference in the challenges facing counsellors in

Nigerian schools setting based on location.

3. There is no significant difference in the issues facing practicing counsellors on

the basis of gender.

4. There is no significant difference in the challenges facing counsellors in

Nigerian schools setting on the basis of gender.

5. There is no significant difference in the challenges facing counsellors in

Nigerian schools setting based on age.

Literature Review

The issues and challenges facing counsellors are not peculiar to Nigerian alone,

but it is at global level. In most countries in the world today counselling has moved

from the confinement of the school to industries, remand homes and other settings due

to unemployment distress and economic problems (David, 2012). The growth of

Issues and Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools Setting: A Dilemma to

Education- Conchi-Miriam Brown, (Ph.D.)

guidance and counselling in most countries like Ethiopia, South Africa, Japan, China

and Nigeria is rather very slow due to insufficient counsellors (Heart, 2011).

Watanable and Herr (2006), Daniel (2009), Udom (2010) and Joseph (2012) in

their researches discovered that, professional counsellors are faced with serious

challenges like lack of acceptance, lack of instruments for psychological tests for

appraisal and placement purposes, lack of vocational information, economic, cultural

and language barriers.

Shahmirzadi (2010), found out that in countries such as Japan, Iran, Napai and

Middle East, the teachers see counsellors as rivals and that they also perform the

services of the counsellors. Especially in Iran, for counselling to be effective, local

traditions, customs, culture and religion must be taken into consideration. According to

Richard and Lumildia (2011) for counselling to stand in Arab and other countries in the

Middle East, it must reflect the tenets of Islam. In Napai as emphasized by Graham

(2011), and Mamman (2012) one of the major problems is the difficulty in finding a

period for counselling in the school time table.

Counselling services are the services rendered by the counsellor to an

individual or group of persons in an organized institution or setting. A professional

counsellor is one that is academically trained in the field of guidance and counselling in

a recognized tertiary institution. Therefore, the educational counselling service of the

counsellor takes care of all aspects of educational matters as applicable to schools

setting (Brown and Joshua, 2011).

Methodology

The study was conducted in Nigeria. The design of this study was a simple

survey. It made use of perceptions of the sample from the population of practicing

counsellors. The study used a sample of 300 subjects (150 males and 150 females)

made up of 50 practicing counsellors (25 males and 25 females) in each of the six

sampled states and secondary schools selected in the six states in Nigeria. Random

sampling technique was used in selecting the participants while purposive sampling

technique was used in selecting the six states from the thirty-six states in Nigeria. The

instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire constructed by the

researcher, and vetted by three experts in the areas of Guidance and Counselling and

Educational Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability estimate of the instrument

was 0.76, using the Cronbach Alpha. At the end of data collection, all the 300

questionnaires administered were found to be completely responded to and usable.

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Forum

Method of Data Analysis

T-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used in analyzing the data

collected at .05 level of significance.

Results

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents by State in Each of the Six Selected States in

Nigeria, Sex and Age

State

Variables

Frequency

Percentage

Akwa Ibom State

Counsellors

16.67%

Lagos State

Counsellors

16.67%

Kano State

Counsellors

16.67%

Bauchi State

Counsellors

16.67%

Anambra State

Counsellors

16.67%

Edo State

Counsellors

16.67%

Total

Counsellors

300

100%

Sex

Akwa Ibom

Male

Female

8.33%

Lagos

Male

Female

8.33%

Kano

Male

Female

8.33%

Bauchi

Male

Female

8.33%

Anambra

Male

Female

8.33%

Edo

Male

Female

8.33%

Total

Counsellors

300

100%

Issues and Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools Setting: A Dilemma to

Education- Conchi-Miriam Brown, (Ph.D.)

Age

Frequency

Percentage

Akwa Ibom

Younger ones

Older ones

35 yrs

36 and above

11.67%

Lagos

Younger ones

Older ones

35 yrs

36 and above

9.67%

Kano

Younger ones

Older ones

35 yrs

36 and above

6.67%

10%

Bauchi

Younger ones

Older ones

35 yrs

36 and above

8.67%

Anambra

Younger ones

Older ones

35 yrs

36 and above

9.33%

7.33%

Edo

Younger ones

Older ones

35 yrs

36 and above

10.67%

Total

300

100%

It could be seen from Table 1 that, equal number of 50 (16.67%) counsellors

were selected from each of the six selected states from the thirty-six states in Nigeria;

equal number of gender (25 male and female) were also randomly chosen while in

terms of age, 15 (5%) of the total chosen in Akwa Ibom State were young and the rest

35 (11.67%) were older. Out of 50 counsellors selected in Lagos State, 21 (7%) were

between age 18 and 35 years while 29 (9.67%) were 36 years and above from the 50

counsellors selected. In Kano State, out of the 50 counsellors, the young counsellors

were 20 (6.67%) while 30 (10%) were older; out of those from Bauchi, 24(8%) were

between ages 18 and 35 years, while 26 (8.67%) of the counsellors were 36 years and

above; from the 50 counsellors chosen in Anambra State, 28 (9.33%) were older of

ages 36 years and above; out of the 50 counsellors from Edo state, 18 (6%) were young

and 32 (10.67%) were older (36 years and above).

Table 2: Issues Facing Counsellors in Nigerian School Setting

S/N Items

The Counsellors are faced with

issues of:

Agree Percentage Disagree Percentage

1 Inappropriate recognition of

counselling as a discipline

227 76% 73 24%

2 The specific roles and functions a

counsellor should play

222 74% 78 26%

3 Uncooperative attitudes of school

head and other personnel

212 71% 88 29%

4 The level of education counselling

should start

202 67% 98 33%

5 Whether it is ethical for counsellor

to get into the inner feelings of

200 67% 100 33%

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client with the use of psychological

test or not?

6 Whether a counsellor be an active

member of school disciplinary

committee

196 65% 104 35%

7 Culture differences 196 65% 104 35%

8 The explicit and implicit forms of

communication with clients.

186 62% 114 38%

9 Whether counsellors are

technicians or professionals

180 60% 120 40%

10 Diagnostic and remediating

procedures

174 58% 126 42%

Data in Table 2 reveals that practicing counsellors in the six selected states in Nigerian

schools setting are faced with various issues as seen in the table. The reason was that all

the ten (10) items tested have scores above 50%.

Table 3: Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools Setting

S/N

Items

The Counsellors are faced with

the challenges of:

Agree

Percentage

Disagree

Percentage

Lack of funds

260

87%

13%

Teachers’ rivalry

260

87%

13%

Principals unsupportive attitudes

240

80%

20%

Students’ lack of self

disclosure

232

77%

23%

Lack of psychological test to

diagnose students’ burdering

issues

210

70%

30%

Lukewarm attitudes of the

government towards counselling

programmes

205

68%

32%

Non

inclusion of

counselling in

school time table

200

67%

100

Parents inadequate knowledge of

details about counsellors and

their programmes

198

66%

102

34%

Non

supportive by schools for

counsellors extensive research

work

180

60%

120

40%

Lack of data bank unit to

coordinate research activities

170

57%

130

43%

Issues and Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools Setting: A Dilemma to

Education- Conchi-Miriam Brown, (Ph.D.)

Table 3 shows that all counsellors in the six selected states are facing

challenges in their schools, because all the ten (10) items on challenges investigated

have scores above 50%.

From the analysis in table 2 and 3, it was cleared that counsellors are faced

with several issues and challenges. Table 2 items 1 to 5 revealed this with percentage

scores of 76%, 74%, 71%, 67% and 67% respectively. Items 8, 9 and 10 were scored

62%, 60% and 58% respectively.

Table 3 shows the challenges faced by counsellors from 1

to 6

with

percentage scores of 87%, 87%, 80%, 77%, 70% and 68% respectively, while items 9

and 10 scored 60% and 57% respectively. The indication from these findings are that,

cooperative efforts and assistance must be put in place by all educational stakeholders

and well meaning Nigerians to boost the morale of Nigerian counsellors.

Hypothesis 1

There is no significant difference in the issues facing counsellors in schools in

Nigeria based on locations/states.

Table 4: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) on the Issues Faced by Counsellors in

Nigerian School Setting Based on Locations/States

Source of

Variance

Sum of

Squares

(SS)

Mean of

Square

(MS)

Degree of

Freedom

(DF)

Calculated

f-value

Critical

f-value

Between

Groups

270.4962

54.0992

1.66

2.60

Within

Groups

8122.2237

32.6194

294

Total

8392.7199

299

p>.05 level of significant

Data in Table 4 indicates that there is no significant differences in the issues faced by

counsellors in Nigerian schools based on location/states, because the calculated f-value

of 1.66 is less than the critical f-value of 2.60 at .05 level of significance. Therefore

hypothesis one is not rejected.

Hypothesis 2

There is no significant difference in the challenges faced by counsellors in

Nigerian schools setting on the basis of locations/states.

Table 5: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) on the Challenges Faced By Counsellors

in Nigerian Schools Setting Based on Locations/State

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Source of

Variance

Sum of

Squares

(SS)

Mean of

Square

(MS)

Degree of

Freedom

(DF)

Calculated

f-value

Critical

f-value

Between

Groups

222.1922

44.4384

1.60

2.60

Within Groups

8170.5277

27.7909

294

Total

8392.7199

299

p>.05 level of significant

Data in Table 5 reveals that, there is no significant difference in the challenges

faced by counsellors in Nigerian schools setting based on locations/states. This is so

because the calculated f-value of 1.60 is less than the critical f-values of 2.60.

Therefore hypothesis 2 was not rejected.

Hypothesis 3

There is no significant difference in the issues facing practicing counsellors on

the basis of gender.

Table 6: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) on the Issues Faced by Counsellors in

Nigerian Schools Setting Based on Gender

Gender

No.



Cal. t

value

Critical t

value

Males

150

87.8523

5.533

298

0.24

1.96

Females

150

87.7086

4.983

Not significant at .05

Data in Table 6 shows there is no significant difference in the issues faced by practicing

counsellors in Nigerian schools setting based on gender. The reason was that, the

calculated t-value of 0.24 is less than the critical t-value of 1.96. Therefore hypothesis 3

is not rejected.

Hypothesis 4

There is no significant difference in the challenges facing counsellors in

Nigeria schools setting on the basis of gender.

Table 7: T-Test Analysis Showing Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian

Schools Setting Based on Gender

Gender

No.



Cal. t

value

Critical t

value

Males

150

86.8441

4.598

298

.70

1.96

Females

150

87.5742

5.735

Not significant at .05

Issues and Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools Setting: A Dilemma to

Education- Conchi-Miriam Brown, (Ph.D.)

Data in Table 7 shows that, there is no significant difference in the challenges

faced by counsellors in Nigerian schools setting based on gender because the calculated

t-value of .70 is less than the critical t-value of 1.96 at .05 significance level. The

hypothesis 4 is therefore not rejected.

Hypothesis 5

There is no significant difference in the challenges facing counsellors on the basis of

age of counsellors.

Table 8: Showing T-Test Analysis on Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian

Schools Setting on the Basis of Age

Age

No.



Cal. t

value

Critical t

value

Young (18

35yrs)

126

50.86

10.274

296

2.72

1.96

Older (36yrs &

above)

174

47.231

12.855

Significant at .05

Table 8 shows that, there is significant difference in the challenges faced by

young counsellors in Nigerian schools setting compared with their counterpart that are

older due to the fact that, the cal. t-value of 2.72 is more than the critical t-value of

1.96. Therefore hypothesis 5 is rejected. The mean values indicate that older

counsellors face significantly more challenges than their younger counterpart.

Discussion

Hypotheses 1 and 2 were not rejected as seen in tables 4 and 5. This means

that, the responses were insignificant in the issues and challenges facing counsellors in

schools. The indication for this is that, counsellors are faced with issues and challenges

which include unidentification of exact role to play, lack of cooperation from schools

personnel, expectation of divulging of clients secret, rivalry from the school head,

confusion as to whether the school counsellor is a technician or is a professional among

others. The challenges that have restricted their effective functioning include

insufficient funds for programmes, students’ inability to open up during counselling,

un-conducive counselling environment, lack of psychological tests for appraisal and

placement purposes, problem encountered in allotting time for counselling activities,

lukewarm attitudes of parents, teachers and students among others. The reasons for all

the issues and challenges that the counsellors are confronted with might be because

majority of people and public are yet to realize that, the counsellor is the only one

member of a team of pupils/students personnel workers; who performs a coordinative

function directed towards the establishment of optimal conditions in the school. The

finding is in support of Ekpenyong (2011) who said orally that, the rivalry and other

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problems encountered by counsellors could not end because both the teachers and

administrators expect counsellors to do more than counselling. The findings is also in

support of Watanable and Herr (2006) who explain that, in Japan, teachers and school

administrators did not recognize the need for professional counsellors. As such, no

cooperation was given to counsellors. Also supported is Shahmirzadi (2010) who

confirmed that culture, social and language barriers as the major causes of challenges

facing counselling among Iranians.

Hypotheses 3 and 4 were accepted because the results of the hypotheses

showed insignificant differences in the issues and challenges facing counsellors based

on gender. One can deduce from these findings that gender was not a determining

factor to issues and challenges faced by counsellors. This finding could emanate from

the fact that both the male and female counsellors are viewed as being competent with

enriched skills to handle all duties and problems that come to their desks without

hesitation. Moreso, despite the facts that some principals and teachers lack skill with

which to handle students’ problems, particularly in the effective realms, they still rival

with the school counsellors. Also, the government, and other education stakeholders

forget that, to achieve education aims and objectives as stated in the National Policy on

Education (2004), function of guidance and counselling is very paramount. For this to

happen, funds, necessary facilities, full corporations among others must essentially be

put in place. The findings is in support of Joseph (2012) with the view that the rapid

growth and spread of counselling activities is inhibited by greater poverty, slow

economic development, weak government, educational dilemma, cultural setting and

people uncared attitude to something good and helpful.

Hypothesis 5 was rejected showing significant difference between challenges

encountered by younger and older or matured counsellors. This meant that the younger

counsellors faced more challenges than the matured ones. This might be due to the fact

that, the older counsellors are more matured and more patient during counselling

sessions and other activities with the clients than younger counsellors. More so, due to

length of counselling experiences the older counsellors have; they might be able to

cope and adjust well with problems associated with their jobs than the younger ones

without coping strategies. The findings support Daniel (2009) assertion that, clients

prefer having their counselling session and intimate interaction with well principled and

matured counsellors who understand their nature and bore with their behaviours.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that counsellors in Nigerian

school settings are faced with many issues ranging from role classification,

uncooperative attitudes of school heads and other school personnel. Again, counsellors

in Nigerian schools encountered series of challenges such as lack of funds, inability of

Issues and Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Schools Setting: A Dilemma to

Education- Conchi-Miriam Brown, (Ph.D.)

clients to open up, lukewarm attitude of government and other stakeholders to

counsellors and their discipline.

Both male and female counsellors are faced with similar challenges in Nigerian

schools while more challenges are faced by younger counsellors than the older ones.

Human beings are greater resources than gold or uranium. Guidance

Counsellors need to prospect for human talent and offer maximum managerial service

in helping channel the educational and vocational resources of youths into appropriate

tracks for effective economic, social, political and cultural development. The

government and the educational sectors should therefore, give Guidance Counsellors

the opportunity to project their importance in order to effectively curb the educational

dilemma in Nigeria.

Counselling Implications/Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, the counselling implications and

recommendations are that, counsellors in various states in Nigeria should organize

moral counselling and advocacy sensitization programmes for the heads of the school,

teachers, parents and entire society on proper awareness and re-orientation about

counselling as discipline, roles and functions of counsellors, its importance and

contributions to the achievement of educational objectives. Intensive counselling re-

orientation for the young counsellors who are not yet mature to withstand various

challenges facing the profession should be made urgently.

Counsellors need to be able to compare the way problems and challenges are

solved in different cultures. Every counsellor must learn about coping and adjusting

strategies. The knowledge will stimulate interest and empathic understanding client’s

needs cross culturally, thus destroying the counsellor’s insularity and ethnocentrism.

Also, whatever the situation in schools, the counsellor should encourage cooperation

with school heads and other school personnel.

There is need for guidance and counselling services to move out of the school

confinement to non-educational setting such as industries, prisons, hospitals, churches,

mosques, remand homes and rehabilitation centers for proper advocacy of the

profession.

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References

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Schools. Calabar: Rapid Publishers.

Brown, C. M. & Joshua, M. T. (2011). Comparative benefits of counselling services

among secondary school adolescents in Uyo Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State,

Nigeria. An International Journal of Counselling, Education and Psychology,

2(2), 43-52.

Daniel, D. J. (2009). The Spirit of the Counsellor. New York: D. Van Nostrand

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