ROLES OF COUNSELLORS IN NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN
ANAMBRA STATE
Dr. D.C. Ncheke, Dr. Mrs. Nkechi Egenti, Enefola Egwuda Job & Dr. E.N. Ezenwani
Department of Educational Foundations,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
And
Simon Sunday Umah Ph.D
Institute of Ecumenical
Education, Thinker’s Corner, Enugu
Abstract
The study investigated roles of counsellors in Nigerian educational system for sustainable development in secondary schools in Anambra State. The research design used for the study was descriptive survey. Three research questions guided the study, while one null hypothesis formulated guided the study. The subjects for the study comprised the entire 265 secondary school counsellors in Anambra State Nigeria. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire designed by the researchers and face validated by three experts in Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Mean scores, standard deviation and t-test statistics were used for data analysis. Result showed that there are counsellors’ roles in sustaining educational development which includes: introducing guidance and counselling services to students helping students in academic pursuit to overcome mental problems, diagnosing any disorder in troubled students and providing effective treatment measures, and establishing contact with students in order to resolve their problems. Also, counsellors assures the students a greater percentage of confidentiality, counsellors use individual counseling to curb stage fright or inferiority complex, students understand counsellors competent the more in individual counselling, and that relationship is more cordial in individual counselling. Also, counsellors help each member in a group counselling to know and understand him/herself and to assist with identity seeking process, counsellors provide students on how to cope with developmental tasks in their personal social areas, they provide to students on how to increase self-direction, problem-solving and decision making abilities, they also help them in group counselling to develop sensitivity to needs of others which results in increased recognition of responsibility for one’s behavior. The result also revealed that no significant difference existed between individual and group counselling services in terms of counsellors’ roles in sustaining educational development. The implications of these findings were highlighted and some recommendations made.
Keywords: Sustainable development, Education, Counsellors, Male and Female Counsellors