Roles of Stakeholders in the Impact of Guidance and Counselling in Senior High Schools in the Upper West Region of Ghana (original) (raw)

2021, The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies

Most young people in schools go through a lot of developmental issues which make them vulnerable to several behavioural problems (Gatua, 2014). This inadvertently affects their academic work and overall attitude in school. In order to help students deal with these challenges, Collins (2007) opined that guidance and counselling is an ultimate tool that can help increase pupils'/students' social and emotional capacity for adjustment. The need for guidance and counselling services in all educational institutions cannot be overstated due to the astronomic complexities of modern life that have placed heavy demands and responsibilities on educational institutions and pupils/students who are continuously confronted with numerous personal, academic, social and emotional needs which when ignored could ultimately create more serious problems for students (Weiten, 2007). The role of the guidance and counselling professional is therefore to help prevent behaviour problems, relate vocational interest to curriculum programme/subjects and help develop appropriate character traits in individuals. Brigman and Campbell (2007) noted that guidance and counselling is the leading school agency that develops, strengthens and maintains fundamental principles of adjustment among school pupils/students. Similarly, Egbo (2013) described counselling as a transformative process of assisting people to learn all that are to be learnt both in and outside the school. The implication is that guidance and counselling coordinators or professionals contribute to the effective achievement of educational outcomes. Teno (2007) also argued that counselling is the 'life-wire' of school and where this is not provided for, there is bound to be a career problem, frustration, academic imbalance and unhealthy relationship among students in the school. This demands therefore that guidance and counselling personnel have proper professional, theoretical and conceptual underpinning that undergird practice of effective guidance and counselling in schools. These requirements can involve having a professionally trained counsellor, adequate guidance and counselling facilities and the support and backing of policy makers in the country. One of the most fundamental variables that can affect guidance and counselling in schools is the role played by stakeholders (Oluwatosin, 2016). These stakeholders include counsellors, guidance and counselling coordinators, school administrators and teachers, government and the students who are the main focus of guidance and counselling. The roles of these stakeholders are mostly intertwined. For instance, the role of district guidance and counselling coordinators is closely related to the role of government. Whichever the case, the effectiveness of guidance and counselling services is influenced and ascertained better by the stakeholders who are involved in it directly or indirectly (Popoola & Oluwatosin, 2002).