By Emmanuel Afonne
The Federal Government has been urged to strengthen Guidance and Counselling services in schools through adequate funding, policy support and the deployment of professional counsellors to enhance national development.
The recommendation was made by Rosemary Ogbodo-Adoga, a Professor of Guidance and Councelling, Department of Educational Foundation, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), during her inaugural lecture titled: “Guidance and Counselling for All: A Pathway to National Development.”
Ogbodo-Adoga said increasing social, educational and psychological challenges confronting learners and society had made Guidance and Counselling indispensable for sustainable national growth.
According to her, Nigeria is currently grappling with traumatic stress, unemployment, drug abuse, cultism, emotional detachment, inadequate parental involvement, poor remuneration, rapid growth in student enrolment, insufficient healthcare services and political instability.
She noted that many citizens were increasingly confused about how to cope with these challenges, stressing that Guidance and Counselling remained a globally recognised preventive measure for addressing personal, educational and social problems.
“Prevention is better than cure. Our lives, the lives of our children and that of the nation are very precious.
“Therefore, we should always do the needful to avoid problems before they occur.
“Schools should ensure that guidance and counselling programmes are implemented through the core processes of consultation, coordination and counselling.
“Such programmes should provide critical services including orientation, information dissemination, appraisal, placement, follow-up, research and overall student development.
“Effective implementation of these services will help learners develop positive values, make informed decisions, acquire life skills and realise their full potential,” she said.
Ogbodo-Adoga also called for adequate funding of guidance and counselling programmes in schools, urging government at all levels to establish dedicated budget lines for the sector within Ministries of Education.
She said sustained funding would improve programme management, facilitate the provision of counselling facilities and strengthen support services for students across educational institutions.
The professor also advocated the training and retraining of guidance personnel through scholarships, bursaries and continuous professional development programmes.
She urged the federal and state ministries of education to employ trained professional counsellors and deploy them to schools on a full-time basis.
The professor also called for strict compliance with the recommended counsellor-counselee ratio of 1:250 to ensure quality service delivery and adequate attention to learners’ needs.
The don further recommended that the Counselling Association of Nigeria be empowered to register, certify and license professional counsellors to strengthen regulation and maintain professional standards.
She emphasised the need for appropriate policies, legislation and enabling environments to institutionalise best practices in counselling across the country.
“Effective guidance programmes require collaboration among counsellors, administrators, teachers, parents and communities.
“Guidance is most effective when pursued as a cooperative enterprise involving the counsellor, administrator, teachers and the community.
“When stakeholders work together through coordinated efforts, guidance programmes become more responsive to the needs of individuals and society.”
The professor also advocated the creation of safe, supportive and learner-friendly school environments to promote academic achievement and positive behaviour.
“There should be greater emphasis on counselling for sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurship development to tackle youth unemployment and encourage self-reliance.
“Guidance services perform developmental, preventive and remedial functions that equip individuals with the knowledge, values and skills necessary for productive living.
“Guidance helped students understand their abilities, interests and limitations while enabling them to make informed educational and vocational choices,” Ogbodo-Adoga added.
“Guidance services support teachers, parents, counsellors and government in achieving educational objectives and promoting national development.
“The services assist government in educational planning, policy formulation and resource allocation by providing valuable information about schools, learners and learning environments.
“Guidance and counselling remains a critical instrument for addressing contemporary social challenges and fostering individual fulfilment,” she said.
The don urged governments, educational institutions, parents and other stakeholders to accord greater priority to guidance and counselling as a strategic investment in the nation’s future.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the NOUN, Prof. Uduma Uduma, commended the inaugural lecturer for her scholarly contribution to the field of guidance and counselling.
Uduma, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, described the lecture as timely and relevant, particularly at a period when educational institutions and society were grappling with complex behavioural and social challenges.
He said the lecture had raised critical questions about the role of counselling in educational institutions and the collective responsibility of stakeholders in addressing societal problems.
“Professor Ogbodo-Adoga has taken us through the issues of guidance and counselling.
“At some point, I was concerned about how counselling would work better within our university system, given the nature of education we offer.
“I was also forced to reflect on whether it is counselling that has failed or whether society itself has failed to uphold the values and responsibilities expected of it,” he said.
According to him, government should not be viewed as an abstract entity detached from society because those who occupy public offices are members of families and communities.
“Government is not inanimate. Human beings occupy those offices, and many of them are parents; teachers are also parents.
“So, when we see challenges in our society, it is a failure of the entire system, and all of us must take responsibility,” he said.
Uduma commended Ogbodo-Adoga for highlighting the need for collaboration among counsellors, parents, teachers, administrators and policymakers in promoting the wellbeing of learners.
He noted that effective guidance programmes could only succeed when implemented as a cooperative enterprise involving all stakeholders.
The vice-chancellor also congratulated the inaugural lecturer, describing her as an accomplished scholar whose contributions had impacted the university, the church and society.
He acknowledged the support of the lecturer’s family, colleagues, church members and the Faculty of Education in her academic journey.
According to him, the university remains committed to promoting research and scholarship that provide practical solutions to national challenges. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma